Digital Commons Network^™

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda, December 3, 2020, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Approval of 5 November 2020 Minutes

Program Proposals

• Offer an Associates of Arts in Theatre.
• Create an Institutional Certificate of Proficiency in the area of small firm management.
• Change the name of the minor to be more reflective of the course emphasis and to be more in line with the emphasis that students in the minor.
• Modify the name of the existing degree program in the Management Information Systems and to require that students complete an approved emphasis within the degree program.
• Establish an emphasis in Cybersecurity within the IS undergraduate degree program.
• Establish an emphasis in Data Engineering within …

Aspen Soils Retain More Dissolved Organic Carbon Than Conifer Soils In A Sorption Experiment, Antra Boča, Astrid R. Jacobson, Helga Van Miegroet

Aspen Bibliography

The effect tree species have on soil organic carbon (SOC) has been hotly debated but, so far, few clear patterns have emerged. One example of a differing tree species effect on SOC are aspen forests in North America, which have been found to have more stable SOC than adjacent conifer forest stands. An important source for the formation of stable organo-mineral complexes in soil is dissolved organic carbon (DOC). DOC concentrations in mineral soil are often higher under the thick O-horizons of conifer forests than under aspen forests, but this does not correspond to more stable mineral SOC. This suggests …

Educational Policies Committee Agenda, December 3, 2020, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Subcommittee Reports

• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee

Other Business

• Curriculog Justification Language

Utah State Engineer, Fall 2020, College Of Engineering

College of Engineering Magazines

Annual magazine for the College of Engineering at Utah State University.

Choice Of End State Comfort Based On Time Spent At The Beginning State And The Precision Requirement Of The End State, Tucker Gregory Gamble

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

People choose actions based on many different variables. In particular, choice of posture while grasping an object typically depends upon several factors including the time spent in that posture, what postures were held prior to choosing that posture, and the precision required by the posture. The purpose of this study was to test a trade-off between choice of end-state comfort based on time spent in a posture at the beginning-state and the precision requirement of the end-state. A comfortable grasp is classified when a person has a full grasp on an object with their thumb pointing up. This posture also …

Mining For Gold: Reimagining The Role Of Curricular Texts In Writing Instruction, Carrigan Price

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Secondary schools in northern Utah frequently combine literature and composition studies into a single English Language Arts course, limiting the time English teachers have to teach the skills and content important to both. Literature and reading often overshadow writing instruction in this situation, leading to concentrated writing instruction dependent on pre-made writing curriculum and texts. The way curricular materials used during writing instruction in ELA courses present the purpose of writing, the process of writing, and the identity of writers can impact student learning and academic identity in the short- and long-term. A rhetorical analysis, looking specifically at the writing …

The Patriot Act: How It Hurts Democracy, Madison Racquel Wadsworth

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

After the devastating attacks on American soil on September 11th, 2001, the world's perceptions of security changed forever. Immediately following the attacks, the United States government passed the USA PATRIOT Act, broadening definitions of terrorism and codifying unconstitutional acts, such as unwarranted searches of private property, indefinite holding of suspected terrorists, and ultimately torturing those suspects. This act has had several long term implications leading to a reduction in the quality of American democracy, which subsequently affected other liberal democracies around the world through violations of basic democratic principles, or civil liberties, such as: due process, physical attacks, and freedom …

Coin Recovery Ii, Carly Lofthouse

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Western Metals Recycling (WMR), a subsidiary of NUCOR Steel, is a metals recycling company with a location in Plymouth, Utah. At Plymouth, a 50 NT/hr. non-ferrous recovery plant uses eddy current technology to generate a non-ferrous product called zorba. Zorba is a mix of aluminum, copper, brass, zinc, printed circuit boards, coins, lead, and the like. (Figure 1) The market value of zorba varies but generally ranges from $0.30 to $0.50 per pound. The value of the coins (not including pennies) is much higher than zorba price. The team's objective is to upgrade and optimize the existing trommel equipment to …

Watering The Landscape: Make It Easier With Evapotranspiration (Et), Candace Schaible, Kelly Kopp, Helen Muntz

Irrigation, Water Use and Drought

No abstract provided.

Demographics, Accuracy, And Impact Of Feed Laboratories In The United States, Jerald H. Severe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Feed analysis is very important to modern society. In the United States feed analysis is used to optimize production of food animals. Feed analysis is also used as a tool to place value on crops. As important as feed analysis is to society, little research has been done that describes which feed laboratories are the most popular and why people use them. It has been thought by some patrons that different results from the same feed sample are obtained by different laboratories. Is this true? If so, what is the effect on those that use feed laboratories to produce animals, …

Characterizing Water And Water-Related Energy Use In Multi-Unit Residential Structures With High Resolution Smart Metering Data, Joseph C. Brewer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As urban populations continue to grow and expand, localized demands on water supplies continue to increase as well. These water supplies, which have been historically stable, are also threatened by an increasingly erratic climate. Together, these two factors have significantly increased the likelihood of long-term drought conditions in the American West. In response, water suppliers are investigating new ways to record water use in urban areas to better understand how water is used. One of these methods is smart meters; advanced devices that can record and transmit water use information directly to the water supplier. However, these devices can produce …

Testing Investment Strategies For Superior Predictive Ability, Jack K. Baldwin

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

When different models are tested on one data sample and repeatedly altered in order to be found significant, the results are likely spurious. This is data-snooping – an ever-growing problem in the finance industry likely due to fierce competition and developments in data processing capacity. In academia, although recognized as a deplorable practice, data-snooping is likewise pervasive perhaps as a result of poor incentive structures at both the university and publisher levels. I manifest the problem of data-snooping through multiple academic and industry examples and then summarize Halbert White and Peter Hansen’s offered solutions, White’s Reality Check and Hansen’s Test …

Hardware Implementations Of Ccsds Deep Space Ldpc Codes For A Satellite Transponder, Dana R. Sorensen

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

Error-correction coding is a technique that adds mathematical structure to a message, allowing corruptions to be detected and corrected when the message is received. This is especially important for deep space satellite communications, since the long distances and low signal power levels often cause message corruption. A very strong type of error-correction coding known as LDPC codes was recently standardized for use with space communications. This project implements the encoding and decoding algorithms required for a small satellite radio to be able to use these LDPC codes. Several decoder architectures are implemented and compared by their performance, speed, and complexity. …

An Evaluation Of The Effects Of Behavioral Skills Training On A Mindfulness-Based Protocol, Chealsy Darby

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

This evaluation examined the effects of behavioral skills training on the correct implementation of a mindfulness-based protocol by direct support staff who provide services to adults with intellectual disabilities in a community, residential setting. Participants included two direct support staff who provide services to two different adults with intellectual disabilities who have a mindfulness-based protocol as an intervention for problem behavior described in their behavior support plan. The participants were exposed to a behavioral skills training package and were required to demonstrate mastery criteria of the mindfulness-based protocol as part of their regular job duties. The results of this evaluation …

Fruit Tree Responses To Water Stress: Automated Physiological Measurements And Rootstock Responses, William D. Wheeler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

New orchard plantings utilize trees grafted to dwarfing rootstocks planted close together to facilitate larger harvests. These dwarfing rootstocks have not been comprehensively studied for their ability to withstand drought. This is of special importance in the Intermountain West which has limited rainfall. Additionally, orchard growers face competition for water from a growing population and increased uncertainty in rainfall from climate change. My research examined the use of dendrometers, which measure changes in trunk diameter, and sap flow sensors, which measure how quickly sap moves, as methods to inform growers about tree water status. I also used a weighing lysimeter …

Current And Projected Water Reuse For Irrigation In Utah, R. Ryan Dupont, Joan E. Mclean, Randal S. Martin, Courtney Flint, L. Niel Allen, Jennifer L. Weidhaas

Reports

Reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation in some cases can help meet increasing agriculture and urban water demands in Utah. The last report describing existing and potential reuse efforts in Utah was in 2005 (Utah Division of Water Resources, 2005). This report provides information on existing and proposed water reuse and perceptions among water providers and users regarding the use of reclaimed wastewater. Wastewater reuse is one of many practices to conserve water and improve water quality. In a broad sense, water reuse occurs by downstream users, but in some cases, deliberate strategic reuse of water is undertaken to provide …

Nato And The Ifrc: A Comparative Case Study, Abigail Kosiak

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This research analyzes the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Multinational Telemedicine System (MnTS) Project and works to answer five main questions:

1) What challenges did the NATO MnTS Project face that are directly related to the fact that the project included members from different countries and worked to create a system that operates across national borders?

2) How do these challenges compare to those faced by a non-governmental organization (NGO) like the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)?

3) What successes has the IFRC had with its current operational model?

4) In what ways could …

Identification Of Bovine T-Cell Populations Involved In Placental Growth And Development, Kelsy A. Leppo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Today, the dairy industry is comprised of cows that can produce around 20,000 pounds of milk in a year, yet producers often see only 30% to 50% of animals produce a live calf after each breeding. While many factors may be at play, there is evidence that the immune system plays a large role in regulating pregnancy and in preventing immune mediated abortions. Maternal immune system changes during pregnancy have been shown to occur both locally in the uterus, which is in direct contact with the placenta, and systemically in the blood. Research in humans and mice has shown that …

Market Steer Projects: Getting Started, Jacob Hadfield, Joshua Dallin, Jessie Hadfield

All Current Publications

Raising a market steer as a 4-H project can be a very rewarding experience for youth. However, it is important to note up front that raising a market steer requires higher input costs and larger living spaces than all other 4-H livestock projects. A successful market steer project involves a lot of time and effort to train, feed, and clean your animal. If the necessary time and resources are available, raising market steers can be one of the most enjoyable livestock projects that 4-H has to offer. This fact sheet has some tips to get you started with your market …

Novel Polymorphisms Of Zrsr2 And Gpm6b Gene Homologs And Their Use In Sex Identification Of Bovine And Porcine Species, Evan K. Peterson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Accurate and cost-effective PCR based sex identification is important in animal production because it gives producers the ability to determine the sex of embryos prior to transfer, saving time and money. The most efficient PCR sex identification assays work by using a single primer pair to amplify a specific target region located on the Y-chromosome and a second, separate target region on the X-chromosome.

This thesis reports the design of two novel assays. The first assay was designed to target the Zinc finger CCCH-type, RNA binding motif and serine/arginine rich 2 (ZRSR2) gene found on the X-chromosome and its Y-chromosome …

Exact Generalized Voronoi Diagram Computation Using A Sweepline Algorithm, Daniel Marsden

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Voronoi Diagrams can provide useful spatial information. Little work has been done on computing exact Voronoi Diagrams when the sites are more complex than a point. We introduce a technique that measures the exact Generalized Voronoi Diagram from points, line segments and, connected lines including lines that connect to form simple polygons. Our technique is an extension of Fortune’s method. Our approach treats connected lines (or polygons) as a single site.

Economic Analysis Of Backgrounding Calves, Jayden Gunnell

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

The purpose of this thesis is to allow beef producers a better insight into the costs and benefits associated with carrying over fall calves to yearling weight and selling them the following spring. Producers are usually seen as risk-averse when it comes to selling their livestock. (Feuz, Fausti 1995) Cattle producers face several decisions during the year when it comes to calf input costs and the premium to be received for fall calves, with the final decision coming at the last minute, when making the decision to keep or sell calves. Said calves might be sold in the fall or …

Selection And Propagation Of Pinyon Pine, Kylie M. Lawson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Single-leaf pinyon pines are drought tolerant trees native to the Great Basin. This species is a source of wild-collected, edible pine nuts that are in great demand. With no previous research apparent, this thesis aimed to identify wild trees with high cone production as sources for evaluating grafting onto immature and mature trees. Wild sources of scions were identified from four wild stands and six trees per stand. Counting and analyzing the number of scars left by mature cones along the leader branch provided an estimate for each tree‚Äôs productivity and identified trees with greater productivity within a stand. The …

Delta Hedging Of Financial Options Using Reinforcement Learning And An Impossibility Hypothesis, Ronak Tali

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In this thesis we take a fresh perspective on delta hedging of financial options as undertaken by market makers. The current industry standard of delta hedging relies on the famous Black Scholes formulation that prescribes continuous time hedging in a way that allows the market maker to remain risk neutral at all times. But the Black Scholes formulation is a deterministic model that comes with several strict assumptions such as zero transaction costs, log normal distribution of the underlying stock prices, etc. In this paper we employ Reinforcement Learning to redesign the delta hedging problem in way that allows us …

Formal Verification Of The Adversarial Robustness Property Of Deep Neural Networks Through Dimension Reduction Heuristics, Refutation-Based Abstraction, And Partitioning, Joshua Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Neural networks are tools that are often used to perform functions such as object recognition in images, speech-to-text, and general data classification. Because neural networks have been successful at approximating these functions that are difficult to explicitly write, they are seeing increased usage in fields such as autonomous driving, airplane collision avoidance systems, and other safety-critical applications. Due to the risks involved with safety-critical systems, it is important to provide guarantees about the networks performance under certain conditions. As an example, it is critically important that self driving cars with neural network based vision systems correctly identify pedestrians 100% of …

Understanding The Microbial Population Of Lactococcus Lactis. Subsp. Strains During Cheese Making And Initial Storage, Rhitika Poudel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Cheddar cheese is manufactured by fermenting milk with lactic acid bacteria added as Lactococcus lactis. The two major subspecies used are lactis and cremoris. Starter culture for this study was prepared and donated by Vivolac Cultures Corporation, Greenfield, Indiana. Cheddar cheese was made in duplicate using two strains of lactis and cremoris. Milled curd was salted with 2.0, 2.4, 2.8, 3.2 and 3.6% salt, pressed for 3 h and stored at 6¬∞C. The curd was sampled during cheese making and after 6d storage. Two different methods of enumeration were employed. One method involved plate counting which only …

Environmental Controls On Didymosphenia Geminata Bloom Formation, Lindsay Capito

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Climate change is causing rapid glacial recession and earlier snowmelt, which alter the physical and chemical properties of rivers. As a result, organisms at the base of the food web are responding in unforeseen ways. We use the nuisance algae D. geminata (Didymo) as a case study for how climate induced shifts in the timing of glacial and snowmelt runoff are affecting river ecosystems. We evaluated how shifts in the timing of nutrient concentrations and light availability affect nuisance blooms of Didymo in three complementary ways. These are, field studies across streams in various stages of glacial recession, weekly measurements …

Laboratory Scale Anaerobic Reactors For Bioenergy From Wastes: Materials, Mathematical Models, And Stoichiometry, Yehor Pererva

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Anaerobic processes are being explored for the production of bioenergy in the form of biomethane and biohydrogen in a "waste-to-value" approach that considers wastes as a resource. Laboratory scale Biomethane potential (BMP) tests and Up-Flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactors can be used to indicate the potential recovery of bioenergy from industry wastes. The goals of this research were to: (1) conduct a critical review of models for determining biomethane potential, (2) develop a theoretical relationship for stoichiometry for biomethane and biohydrogen from wastes, and (3) develop key design aspects for geometry and infrastructure, including gas-liquid-solid separation in laboratory UASB …

Comparison Of Public Mental Health Stigma In Youth, Desiree A. Clarke

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study looked at mental health stigma in youth. Mental health stigma is devaluing, disgracing and disfavoring individuals with mental illness. Participants aged 11-14 completed a measure to rate their stigmatizing beliefs toward peers with either ADHD, depression, or asthma. Their ratings were compared for significance between genders and for the three different conditions: ADHD, depression, and asthma. Significant differences were found between the stigma ratings for asthma, depression and ADHD. ADHD had significantly higher stigma ratings than asthma, and depression had significantly higher stigma ratings than ADHD (on some, but not all, areas rated) and had consistently higher …

Rumen Fermentation Responses To Purified Palmitic, Stearic, Or Oleic Fatty Acids And The Impact Of A Palmitic Acid-Enriched Supplement On Animal Performance, Austin Paul Sears

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Our research examined the responses of palmitic, stearic and oleic fatty acids on neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility and rumen fermentation and the impact of a palmitic acid-enriched supplement on animal performance. In the first research chapter, we evaluated the effect of purified palmitic, stearic, and oleic fatty acids on NDF digestibility and rumen fermentation. Palmitic acid increased NDF digestibility and total production of volatile fatty acids (VFA) compared with oleic acid. Bacterial fatty acid composition was altered by palmitic acid, increasing anteiso-C15:0, C18:2n6 and C18:3n3 fatty acids compared with oleic acid. Compared with control, …