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A Flexible Service-Oriented Approach To Address Hydroinformatic Challenges In Large-Scale Hydrologic Predictions, Michael Antonio Souffront Alcantara Dec 2018

A Flexible Service-Oriented Approach To Address Hydroinformatic Challenges In Large-Scale Hydrologic Predictions, Michael Antonio Souffront Alcantara

Theses and Dissertations

Water security is defined as a combination of water for achieving our goals as a society, and an acceptable level of water-related risks. Hydrologic modeling can be used to predict streamflow and aid in the decision-making process with the goal of attaining water security. Developed countries usually have their own hydrologic models; however, developing countries often lack hydrologic models due to factors such as the maintenance, computational costs, and technical capacity needed to run models. A global streamflow prediction system (GSPS) would help decrease vulnerabilities in developing countries and fill gaps in areas where no local models exist by providing …


Swat Online: Development Of A Web-Based Decision Support System For The Soil And Water Assessment Tool, Spencer Dean Mcdonald Dec 2018

Swat Online: Development Of A Web-Based Decision Support System For The Soil And Water Assessment Tool, Spencer Dean Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations

As satellite and climate modelling technology continues to improve and as climatological disasters and issues continue to impact the global community, climate data will increase in size and relevance. With this new influx of information, it is becoming more and more important for scientists to simply and concisely communicate their findings to both decision makers in governments and disaster preparedness organizations and also to the general public. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a powerful modelling tool that allows scientists to simulate essentially all of the physical processes involved in the water cycle. The data that SWAT produces …


Flight Vehicle Design, Andrew Ning Dec 2018

Flight Vehicle Design, Andrew Ning

Books

No abstract provided.


Estimation Of Knee Kinematics Using Non-Monotonic Nanocomposite High-Deflection Strain Gauges, Adin Douglas Martineau Dec 2018

Estimation Of Knee Kinematics Using Non-Monotonic Nanocomposite High-Deflection Strain Gauges, Adin Douglas Martineau

Theses and Dissertations

Human knee kinematics, especially during gait, are an important analysis tool. The current "gold standard" for kinematics measurement is a multi-camera, marker-based motion capture system with 3D position tracking. These systems are accurate but expensive and their use is limited to a confined laboratory environment. High deflection strain gauges (HDSG) are a novel class of sensors that have the potential to measure kinematics and can be inexpensive, low profile, and are not limited to measurements within a calibrated volume. However, many HDSG sensors can have a non-linear and non-monotonic response. This thesis explores using a nanocomposite HDSG sensor system for …


Optimization-Based Spatial Positioning And Energy Management For Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Ronald Abraham Martin Dec 2018

Optimization-Based Spatial Positioning And Energy Management For Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Ronald Abraham Martin

Theses and Dissertations

This research applies techniques from the field of optimization to spatial positioning and energy management in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Two specific areas are treated: optimization of UAV view plans for 3D modeling of infrastructure, and trajectory optimization of solar powered high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) UAVs. Structure-from-Motion (SfM) is a computer vision technique for creating 3D models from 2D images. View planning is the process of planning image sets that will effectively model a given scene. First, a genetic algorithm based view planning approach is demonstrated. A novel terrain simulation environment is developed, and the algorithm is tested at multiple sites …


Islas De Las Californias, Colaboración Botánica: Islands Of The Californias Botanical Collaborative, William Hoyer, John Knapp, Denise Knapp, David Mazurkiewicz, Ken Owen, Luciana Luna-Mendoza, Kathryn Mceachern Nov 2018

Islas De Las Californias, Colaboración Botánica: Islands Of The Californias Botanical Collaborative, William Hoyer, John Knapp, Denise Knapp, David Mazurkiewicz, Ken Owen, Luciana Luna-Mendoza, Kathryn Mceachern

Western North American Naturalist

After nearly 2 centuries of being negatively impacted, primarily by introduced mainland vertebrates, the unique flora and vegetation of the Islands of the Californias archipelago have been severely degraded. The botanical conservation challenges that lie ahead include the near extinction or extirpation of rare, endemic, and even common plant taxa; invasion of nonnative plants; near loss of unique island vegetation communities; and the degradation of a host of sites. These challenges are too large for any one entity to remedy alone. Many of the botanical resources impacted are found on multiple islands and cross political boundaries. The Islands of the …


Use And Harms Of Pornography, Amber Brewer, Rachel Jamieson, Jill Christine Manning, Rory C. Reid Nov 2018

Use And Harms Of Pornography, Amber Brewer, Rachel Jamieson, Jill Christine Manning, Rory C. Reid

Forever Families

To say the least, pornography is a controversial and confusing subject. Researchers, politicians, pornography producers, pornography consumers, those acquainted with consumers, and those passively exposed to erotic media (through everyday movies, advertisements, and internet pop-ups) have differing opinions and values toward pornography.


Family Strengths: Communication, Stephen F. Duncan, Kristi Mclane Nov 2018

Family Strengths: Communication, Stephen F. Duncan, Kristi Mclane

Forever Families

Strong families communicate. They take time to talk and listen to one another. They share their hopes and dreams, feelings and concerns. They take the time to listen and respond to what others have to say.


Bridling Anger, Stephen F. Duncan Nov 2018

Bridling Anger, Stephen F. Duncan

Forever Families

Anger experts say that anger develops more often in the family--in marriage and with children--than in any other human relationship. Sometimes anger turns violent, resulting in emotional and physical abuse of those that God expects us to love and serve.


Long-Term Impacts Of Exotic Grazer Removal On Native Shrub Recovery, Santa Cruz Island, California, Stephanie G. Yelenik Nov 2018

Long-Term Impacts Of Exotic Grazer Removal On Native Shrub Recovery, Santa Cruz Island, California, Stephanie G. Yelenik

Western North American Naturalist

A combination of overgrazing and exotic species introduction has led to the degradation of habitats worldwide. It is often unclear whether removal of exotic ungulates will lead to the natural reestablishment of native plant communities without further management inputs. I describe here my return to sites on Santa Cruz Island, California, 12 years after initial sampling in order to gain a long-term view on native shrub reestablishment into exotic grasslands after exotic grazer removal. Santa Cruz Island was grazed by feral sheep and cattle for over a century; these exotic grazers were removed in the late 1980s and feral pigs …


Bats Of The California Channel Islands: New Records With New Methods, Patricia E. Brown, William E. Rainey Nov 2018

Bats Of The California Channel Islands: New Records With New Methods, Patricia E. Brown, William E. Rainey

Western North American Naturalist

Eight bat species were known and documented from the California Channel Islands when J.C. Von Bloeker (1967) presented at the First California Islands Symposium in 1965. Additional bat surveys by P.E. Brown (1980) in the 1970s resulted in “Distribution of bats of the California Channel Islands,” which was presented at the second symposium in 1978. Methods of detecting and identifying bats have changed over the past century. Museum collection methods using shotguns have been replaced by mist-netting and recording of echolocation calls. Currently, capture or acoustic records have identified 14 bat species (56% of the 25 species known to occur …


Reduced Defenses And Increased Herbivore Preference Of Island Chaparral Shrubs Compared To Mainland Relatives, Ryan A. Salladay, Aaron R. Ramirez Nov 2018

Reduced Defenses And Increased Herbivore Preference Of Island Chaparral Shrubs Compared To Mainland Relatives, Ryan A. Salladay, Aaron R. Ramirez

Western North American Naturalist

The absence of herbivores from certain environments may select for plants that are less defended and more palatable compared to plants in similar environments that are exposed to herbivory. This potential loss of defenses becomes especially important when exotic herbivores are introduced to islands that historically lack such organisms, potentially resulting in negative effects on native island ecosystems. To test the hypothesis that island plants have reduced defensive traits, we measured structural defenses and palatability of 10 taxonomic pairs from contrasting island and mainland environments. Our study compares plants from Santa Catalina Island, California—which has a long history without large …


Informing Our Successors: What Botanical Information For Santa Cruz Island Will Researchers And Conservation Managers In The Century Ahead Need The Most?, John M. Randall, Kathryn Mceachern, John Knapp, Paula Power, Steve Junak, Kristina Gill, Denise Knapp, Matt Guilliams Nov 2018

Informing Our Successors: What Botanical Information For Santa Cruz Island Will Researchers And Conservation Managers In The Century Ahead Need The Most?, John M. Randall, Kathryn Mceachern, John Knapp, Paula Power, Steve Junak, Kristina Gill, Denise Knapp, Matt Guilliams

Western North American Naturalist

Climate changes are predicted to drive changes in plant species composition and vegetation cover around the world. Preserved specimens and other botanical information that we gather today—a period future practitioners may look back on as an early stage of modern anthropogenic climate change—will be of value to conservation managers and conservation biologists in the decades and centuries ahead. Here, we present suggestions for the systematic collection, long-term curation (in museums, herbaria, and other research institutions), and maintenance of plant specimens, along with associated data and analyses on the plants and vegetation present today and in the past. The primary aim …


The Utah English Journal, Volume 46, 2018: Full Issue Nov 2018

The Utah English Journal, Volume 46, 2018: Full Issue

The Utah English Journal

No abstract provided.


“What’S The Point?”: Creating Authenticity & Relevance Through Simulated Writing Experiences, Dawan Coombs, Jon Balzotti, Derek Hansen Nov 2018

“What’S The Point?”: Creating Authenticity & Relevance Through Simulated Writing Experiences, Dawan Coombs, Jon Balzotti, Derek Hansen

The Utah English Journal

A few years ago, during a high school English course for struggling readers and writers, Brandon, a 16-year old junior in the class, detailed why he felt English class seemed so difficult. He explained, “I don’t really see the point of why I have to take it. I wish they taught me something that I’ll need in my adulthood, you know?” Knowing Brandon’s professional goals included studying business and eventually taking over his father’s local store, the answer to Brandon’s question seemed obvious: the critical reading and argument writing skills he was learning in English were precisely what he would …


Repair And Adaptation Of Aged Skeletal Muscle To Nonpathological Muscle Damage: The Influence Of Macrophage Polarization, Jacob R. Sorensen Nov 2018

Repair And Adaptation Of Aged Skeletal Muscle To Nonpathological Muscle Damage: The Influence Of Macrophage Polarization, Jacob R. Sorensen

Theses and Dissertations

The age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function is accompanied by a decline in regenerative capacity. The processes that facilitate healthy muscle repair are complex, involving several phases of degradation and rebuilding of muscle tissue and the surrounding microenvironment. Specifically, myogenic progenitor cells known as satellite cells are the most influential in repairing damaged muscle tissue. Following injury, satellite cells become activated and migrate, proliferate and fuse with mature skeletal muscle fibers to restore homeostasis to the tissue. However, satellite cells do not act in isolation, a robust inflammatory response is necessary to facilitate successful and rapid healing. Macrophages …


Netlight: Cloud Baked Indirect Illumination, Nathan Andrew Zabriskie Nov 2018

Netlight: Cloud Baked Indirect Illumination, Nathan Andrew Zabriskie

Theses and Dissertations

Indirect lighting drastically increases the realism of rendered scenes but it has traditionally been very expensive to calculate. This has long precluded its use in real-time rendering applications such as video games which have mere milliseconds to respond to user input and produce a final image. As hardware power continues to increase, however, some recently developed algorithms have started to bring real-time indirect lighting closer to reality. Of specific interest to this paper, cloud-based rendering systems add indirect lighting to real-time scenes by splitting the rendering pipeline between a server and one or more connected clients. However, thus far they …


Vision-Based Emergency Landing Of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Parker Chase Lusk Nov 2018

Vision-Based Emergency Landing Of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Parker Chase Lusk

Theses and Dissertations

Emergency landing is a critical safety mechanism for aerial vehicles. Commercial aircraft have triply-redundant systems that greatly increase the probability that the pilot will be able to land the aircraft at a designated airfield in the event of an emergency. In general aviation, the chances of always reaching a designated airfield are lower, but the successful pilot might use landmarks and other visual information to safely land in unprepared locations. For small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), triply- or even doubly-redundant systems are unlikely due to size, weight, and power constraints. Additionally, there is a growing demand for beyond visual line …


Writing And Designing A Chapter On Mercury And Pluto For The Textbook Exploring The Planets (Explanet.Info), Braxton Clark Spilker Nov 2018

Writing And Designing A Chapter On Mercury And Pluto For The Textbook Exploring The Planets (Explanet.Info), Braxton Clark Spilker

Theses and Dissertations

Exploring the Planets (http://explanet.info) is a free online college textbook covering thebasic concepts of planetary science emphasizing the character and evolution of the planetarybodies in the Solar System. The latest edition (3rd edition) was published online in 2007 by EricH Christiansen. Since the release of the third edition, two important planetary missions havebeen completed: MESSENGER (to Mercury) and New Horizons (to Pluto). These missionsprovided new information and fundamental insights into these planetary bodies, which have notyet been included in Exploring the Planets. The modern results based on recent investigations ofMercury and Pluto are critical for our understanding of the nature …


One Jump Forward, Two Jumps Back: A Qualitative Study Of Parental Issues Raising Adolescents With Autism, Molly Anne Rosenbaum Nov 2018

One Jump Forward, Two Jumps Back: A Qualitative Study Of Parental Issues Raising Adolescents With Autism, Molly Anne Rosenbaum

Theses and Dissertations

There have been numerous investigations seeking to quantify the experience of parents raising adolescents of autism, but remarkably few have looked at the total experience qualitatively, as reported by parents. The present study was conducted along with a larger study for adolescents with autism participating in the PEERS® social skills group intervention, which includes simultaneous parent sessions. This study analyzed comments made in the parent group, identifying the issues parents reported spontaneously through a qualitative analysis of 12 unstructured hour-long sessions including parents (n = 16) and graduate student clinicians. The purpose of this investigation was to explore the …


Oprm1 Genotype Interacts With Serotonin System Dysfunction To Predict Alcohol-Heightened Aggression In Primates, Carlos A. Driscoll, Stephen G. Lindell, Melanie L. Schwandt, Stephen J. Suomi, J. Dee Higley, Markus Heilig, Christina S. Barr Nov 2018

Oprm1 Genotype Interacts With Serotonin System Dysfunction To Predict Alcohol-Heightened Aggression In Primates, Carlos A. Driscoll, Stephen G. Lindell, Melanie L. Schwandt, Stephen J. Suomi, J. Dee Higley, Markus Heilig, Christina S. Barr

Faculty Publications

Although the notion that alcohol promotes violence is widespread, not all individuals are aggressive while intoxicated. Genetic variation could be a contributing factor to individual differences in alcohol-heightened aggression. The present study examines the effects of OPRM1C77G genotype on responses to threat in rhesus macaques under normal conditions and following alcohol administration. Prior studies have shown that a low CSF level of 5-HIAA is a trait marker for individuals prone to escalated aggression. We wanted to examine whether the predictive value for this marker on aggression was moderated by OPRM1 genotype. Animals were administered alcohol (BAC 100-200 mg%), were provoked …


Erosion Of Coastal Archaeological Sites On Santa Rosa Island, California, Christopher S. Jazwa, Kerri N. Johnson Oct 2018

Erosion Of Coastal Archaeological Sites On Santa Rosa Island, California, Christopher S. Jazwa, Kerri N. Johnson

Western North American Naturalist

The damage and loss of coastal archaeological sites from shoreline transgression and other near-coastal processes is common around the world. It negatively impacts our ability to address important research questions including those about the colonization of the New World, which likely occurred along the Pacific Coast. Differences in geomorphic context, annual weather patterns, topography, vegetation, bedrock, and land-use history lead to distinct localized patterns of erosion even within small geographic regions. We assessed near-coastal erosion on Santa Rosa Island, California, by monitoring annual change at 16 controlled points on 11 archaeological sites from 2013 to 2017 and by comparing it …


California Island Rediscovery: Building An Archive To Improve Conservation Today And Equip The Historical Ecologist Of Tomorrow, Scott A. Morrison, T. Scott Sillett, W. Chris Funk, Cameron K. Ghalambor, Torben C. Rick Oct 2018

California Island Rediscovery: Building An Archive To Improve Conservation Today And Equip The Historical Ecologist Of Tomorrow, Scott A. Morrison, T. Scott Sillett, W. Chris Funk, Cameron K. Ghalambor, Torben C. Rick

Western North American Naturalist

An understanding of how past conditions have shaped present-day ecological patterns and trends is critical to science-based conservation management. Unfortunately, the records, specimens, and objects historical ecologists need to help generate that understanding are often lacking. And because of a general underinvestment by society in systematic collection and museum curation, future historical ecologists may be similarly limited in their ability to investigate conditions regarding our present day. Given the importance of historical data and materials in contemporary conservation decision-making, we suggest it is incumbent upon resource managers and scientists to ask whether additional research efforts are needed to document past …


Connecting Island Communities On A Global Scale: Case Studies In Island Biosecurity, Juliana Matos, Annie Little, Keith Broome, Euan Kennedy, Frederico A. Méndez-Sánchez, Mariam Latofski-Robles, Robyn Irvine, Chris Gill, Aurora Espinoza, Gregg Howald, Katrina Olthof, Morgan Ball, Christina L. Boser Oct 2018

Connecting Island Communities On A Global Scale: Case Studies In Island Biosecurity, Juliana Matos, Annie Little, Keith Broome, Euan Kennedy, Frederico A. Méndez-Sánchez, Mariam Latofski-Robles, Robyn Irvine, Chris Gill, Aurora Espinoza, Gregg Howald, Katrina Olthof, Morgan Ball, Christina L. Boser

Western North American Naturalist

Invasive alien species represent one of the greatest threats to island ecosystems and the unique species that inhabit them. In many instances, eradication or control programs for invasive alien species have effectively curtailed the ongoing loss of biodiversity on islands. Prevention is a more proactive and cost-effective approach, however, and is an emerging global priority in the conservation of island ecosystems. Island biosecurity programs attempt to prevent the introduction and establishment of invasive alien species on islands and dictate actions when an invasive species is detected. Targeted and robust collaboration efforts among the global island community on biosecurity advances and …


The Introduced Argentine Ant (Linepithema Humile) On The California Channel Islands: Distribution And Patterns Of Spread, Christina L. Boser, Korie Merrill, Robert N. Fisher, Ida Naughton, David A. Holway Oct 2018

The Introduced Argentine Ant (Linepithema Humile) On The California Channel Islands: Distribution And Patterns Of Spread, Christina L. Boser, Korie Merrill, Robert N. Fisher, Ida Naughton, David A. Holway

Western North American Naturalist

The Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) is a widespread and abundant introduced species that disrupts ecosystems throughout its introduced range. This invader was inadvertently introduced to Santa Catalina, San Clemente, Santa Cruz, and San Nicolas Islands at various points during the past century but currently appears to be absent from the remaining Channel Islands. Multiple spatially disjunct infestations on each invaded island individually range in size from <500 m2 to >427 ha and encompass a variety of habitats, including large areas that are entirely dominated by native perennial vegetation. The existence of multiple infestations on individual islands suggests that inadvertent …


Equipping Tomorrow's Historical Ecologist: Priorities For Documenting Conditions Of The Terrestrial Fauna Of Santa Cruz Island, California, Christina L. Boser, T. Scott Sillett, Paul W. Collins, Kathryn R. Faulkner, W. Chris Funk, Cameron K. Ghalambor, Lyndal Laughrin, Gregory B. Pauly, Jeanne M. Robertson, Robyn Shea, Winston Vickers Oct 2018

Equipping Tomorrow's Historical Ecologist: Priorities For Documenting Conditions Of The Terrestrial Fauna Of Santa Cruz Island, California, Christina L. Boser, T. Scott Sillett, Paul W. Collins, Kathryn R. Faulkner, W. Chris Funk, Cameron K. Ghalambor, Lyndal Laughrin, Gregory B. Pauly, Jeanne M. Robertson, Robyn Shea, Winston Vickers

Western North American Naturalist

Historical ecological research provides valuable insights for contemporary conservation management. Gaps in historical records, however, can limit the utility of that research. Future conservationists may therefore find themselves disadvantaged by the current societal trend of underinvestment in systematic collection of museum specimens and natural history information. To reduce that risk, we asked what managers and scientists could do today to better document the past and present conditions of Santa Cruz Island, California, as a means to improve both contemporary and future conservation. We focused our inquiry on the island’s terrestrial fauna, which includes numerous taxa of conservation concern. Here we …


Yes We Can! Exciting Progress And Prospects For Controlling Invasives On Islands And Beyond, Daniel Simberloff, Brad Keitt, David Will, Nick Holmes, Erin Pickett, Piero Genovesi Oct 2018

Yes We Can! Exciting Progress And Prospects For Controlling Invasives On Islands And Beyond, Daniel Simberloff, Brad Keitt, David Will, Nick Holmes, Erin Pickett, Piero Genovesi

Western North American Naturalist

Eradication and maintenance management of island invasive species have long histories, and incremental improvements of existing technologies plus occasional novel approaches have led to more challenging targets and increased success rates in certain categories. Many nonnative mammals have been eradicated from islands, as have several nonnative birds, insects, and plants. Hundreds of rat populations have been eliminated, with a success rate over 80%, and islands over 10,000 ha are now feasible targets. Mouse eradication has proven more challenging, but aerial broadcast of anticoagulant toxins has led to increased success. Carnivore eradication—especially of feral housecats and foxes—has been frequently attempted with …


Terminal Pleistocene–Holocene Avifauna Of San Miguel And Santa Rosa Islands: Identifications Of Previously Unidentified Avian Remains Recovered From Fossil Sites And Prehistoric Cave Deposits, Paul W. Collins, Daniel A. Guthrie, Emily L. Whistler, Rene L. Vellanoweth, Jon M. Erlandson Oct 2018

Terminal Pleistocene–Holocene Avifauna Of San Miguel And Santa Rosa Islands: Identifications Of Previously Unidentified Avian Remains Recovered From Fossil Sites And Prehistoric Cave Deposits, Paul W. Collins, Daniel A. Guthrie, Emily L. Whistler, Rene L. Vellanoweth, Jon M. Erlandson

Western North American Naturalist

We provide an update to the fossil avifauna of San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands based on the identification of 3509 small bird bones recovered from fossil sites on Santa Rosa and from 3 archaeological-paleontological cave deposits and 20 fossil sites on San Miguel. This work adds 64 species to the fossil avian community of these 2 islands, increasing the previous total from 83 to 147 species, making this the richest Late Pleistocene–Holocene coastal avifaunal assemblage recorded for California. Of the 64 newly identified species, 62 are new additions to the Channel Islands fossil avifauna and 40 are new to …


Using Machine Learning To Accurately Predict Ambient Soundscapes From Limited Data Sets, Katrina Lynn Pedersen Oct 2018

Using Machine Learning To Accurately Predict Ambient Soundscapes From Limited Data Sets, Katrina Lynn Pedersen

Theses and Dissertations

The ability to accurately characterize the soundscape, or combination of sounds, of diverse geographic areas has many practical implications. Interested parties include the United States military and the National Park Service, but applications also exist in areas such as public health, ecology, community and social justice noise analyses, and real estate. I use an ensemble of machine learning models to predict ambient sound levels throughout the contiguous United States. Our data set consists of 607 training sites, where various acoustic metrics, such as overall daytime L50 levels and one-third octave frequency band levels, have been obtained. I have data for …


Molecular Characterization Of Penstemon Scariosus (Plantaginaceae), Mikel R. Stevens Oct 2018

Molecular Characterization Of Penstemon Scariosus (Plantaginaceae), Mikel R. Stevens

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The objectives of this project: Our objective was “to develop an understanding of the genetic structure of the varieties within P. scariosus. With a specific intent to test the hypothesis that P. scariosus var. albifluvis is distinct within P. scariosus” while mentoring no less than four undergraduate students. We have meet and exceeded the academic objectives proposed and then funded by this MEG as attested to in the following paragraphs and attachments to this report. As a result of our most excellent success in this project we have four additional students who are volunteering on the project. It is our …