Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of A Subsurface Water Velocity And Quality Measurement Payload For Suas, Mitchell Bailey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Aquaculture farms, like oyster farms, often use outdated techniques to measure the quality of their waters. These techniques are often stationary or are deployed by an operator who may struggle to reach a location depending on conditions like the presence of a storm or low tide. This creates data sets with gaps over time and across the area of the farm, meaning the data cannot be used to model the standard farm conditions. An Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) payload is developed in this paper that is capable of measuring depth-velocity profiles through the use of a tethered velocity sensor. The …

Systematic Review On The Use Of Self-Monitoring Interventions With Adhd/Asd Students In School Settings, Sari Christensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This systematic literature review was done to determine characteristics and descriptive analysis of the use of self-monitoring behavior interventions (SMI) with students in the educational setting who are diagnosed with ASD/ADHD. The objective was to create resources for future practitioners and interventionists to direct future use of SMI in schools and identify areas of study needed. Behavior interventions are often used to support students with disabilities to access their education in a school setting. Individuals diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are included in this population. A type of behavior using the analysis of …

From Pasture To Plate: Striking An Omega Balance Between Grass-Fed And Grain-Fed Beef Ribeyes - Fatty Acid Composition, Minerals, Soil, And Forage Analysis, Travis Earl Statham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Most beef cattle in the US are feedlot-finished where intensive feeding of grains is used to increase weight and yield; however, a minority are raised in grass-fed operations that use exclusive pasture, rangeland, and hay for feeding, possibly leading to benefits for the land, soil, ecosystems, forages, and the meat itself. These operations use a variety of methods, and the goal of this was to recognize differences in the soil and forage metrics to help understand the resulting meat fatty acid composition and mineral content. We collected these samples from 78 sets of farmers while testing 25 sets of grain-fed …

Assessing The Attitudes Of General Education Kindergarten Teachers Making Classroom And Teaching Adaptations For Students With Disabilities, Joseph Graul

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The transition from preschool to kindergarten can be particularly challenging for children with disabilities in inclusive classrooms (general education classrooms where typically developing children and children with disabilities are taught together) as children face new academic, social, and behavioral expectations. Classroom and teaching adaptations can help these students succeed, making the transition to kindergarten and elementary education smooth and effective. This study looks at how general education kindergarten teachers feel about making various classroom adaptations for children with disabilities and compares current teachers’ views to those of a similar 1999 study conducted by Vaughn et al. which this study replicates. …

Designing Technology-Enriched Learning Environments: The Effects Of An Agent-Based Computer Model On Biology Students' Understanding Of The Covid-19 Pandemic And The Nature Of Models In Science, April Sullivan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Science education researchers have called for increased attention to the science practice of modeling to engage students in authentic scientific inquiry. A major challenge to integrating the modeling practice into science instruction is that students tend to conceptualize models as static end-products of research rather than generative tools for theory-building. Engaging students in using computer models, specifically agent-based computer models (ABMs), to explain and predict scientific phenomena could improve students' understanding of models in science. In this design-based research project I investigate the effects of an ABM-supported learning environment on high-school biology students' understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic and the …

A Relaxable Vortex Wake Model For Modern Supersonic Panel Methods, Joshua J. Hurwitz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis presents an improved vortex wake model for unstructured, supersonic panel methods. Panel methods are numerical methods that utilize inviscid flow assumptions and other simplifications to allow efficient computation of pressure distributions, velocity fields, and aerodynamic forces. They are commonly used for preliminary design, automatic design codes, and automatic optimization routines. Most existing supersonic panel methods do not include automatic wake generation and relaxation. This prevents the accurate analysis of many geometries, including those with conventional horizontal stabilizers or canards. This thesis first outlines the derivation of a relaxable generalized supersonic vortex filament equation. Next, it explores other necessary …

Feature Selection In Multivariate Time Series Data For Enhanced Solar Flare Classification, Yagnashree Velanki

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Solar flares are powerful eruptions of energy from the Sun that can cause disruptions to technology here on Earth, like communication systems, GPS, and power grids. To help manage these risks, it’s important to accurately identify and classify these solar flares before they cause problems. In our research, we focused on improving how we classify solar flares by looking at large sets of complex data collected over time. We used several techniques to find the most important factors that help us tell different types of solar flares apart. Each method has its strengths, so instead of relying on just one, …

Assessing Canopy Features, Its Shading Factor, And Their Influence In The Estimation Of Evapotranspiration In Almond Orchards Using Uas Information And The Two-Source Energy Balance Model, Moises R. Duran-Gomez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study explored how canopy biomass and shadows affect evapotranspiration (ET) estimates, a crucial factor for irrigation management in almond orchards in California’s Central Valley. Data from 24 drone flights over three almond plots in 2021 and 2022 were analyzed using the Two-Source Energy Balance (TSEB) model, combined with meteorological data from EC-towers. The study found that filtering out shadows improved ET estimation, particularly in young orchards, and identified the importance of using new Leaf Area Index (LAI) models for better accuracy. This research is part of the T-REX initiative, which integrates drone and ground-based data to enhance water use …

Insights From Diverse Environments: Investigating The Fate And Transport Of Semivolatile Organic Contaminants In Alpine, Arctic, And Arid Regions, Jeffrey Perala-Dewey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This dissertation investigates the fate and transport of pollutants through four field-based studies in a diverse array of environments. These pollutants travel through the atmosphere and end up in places far from their original sources. In this work I explore how chemical properties of the pollutants and the environmental processes that are present change the way the pollutants travel through the environment. In the first study, pollutants from car engines were quantified in the vegetation along transects in three alpine valleys. Using these measurements, I investigated how the chemical properties of the pollutants impacted their interplay with wind systems in …

Mathematical And Statistical Methods To Harness Limited Data In Models For Ecological Space Use Under Global Change, Sarah C. Bogen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The dynamics of how plants and animals use space in their habitats has important implications for the fields of ecology and conservation. However, understanding and responding to these spatial and temporal dynamics is often limited by data availability, financial resources and biases. As average global temperatures increase, suitable habitats shift poleward and require local populations to move with suitable habitat, adapt to the changing environment, or risk extinction. Capacity to persist without movement may be estimated by considering changes to a combination of habitat characteristics. Capacity to track suitable habitat may be modeled through synthesizing information on species demographic mechanisms …

The Geoarchaeology Of An Early Agricultural Landscape On Clear Creek, Fremont Indian State Park, Utah, Michael D. Bianchini

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Clear Creek is a major Fremont early agricultural landscape in central Utah. The Fremont culture occupied the northern Colorado Plateau and the eastern Great Basin for approximately 1,000 years between AD 300–1300. This study builds an alluvial chronology that details the local history of alluvial fan development and erosion and examines the geoarchaeological context at Five Finger Ridge, the major occupation site in the valley. Geochronologic dating of sediment deposits, analyses of sediment types, AMS radiocarbon dating, and optically stimulated luminescence dating (OSL) ages has helped identify geomorphic contexts of Fremont agriculture in Clear Creek Canyon. This study focuses on …

Using Luminescence Dating To Investigate Geomorphic And Archaeologic Features At The Wiggins Fork Bison Jump Complex, Northwestern Wyoming, Emma T. Krolczyk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The Wiggins Fork Bison Jump Complex, located in northwestern Wyoming, is comprised of thousands of human-placed rock piles, known as cairns, that were placed within lines to form an extensive network of drivelines and funnels leading to cliffs or steep slopes. These archaeological features were used by Native Americans as a bison hunting method, where the animals were driven off cliffs for harvest. This research uses luminescence dating, which determines when sediment was last exposed to sunlight, to date the timing of driveline construction and the deposition ages of the underlying river deposits.

Research focused on Jump #4, which had …

Viking And Native North American Interactions: The Spread Of Disease In The Norse Discovery Of North America, Sarah N. Haughawout

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This paper evaluates the potential for spread of disease in the Norse and Native North American interactions around 1000 CE. At this time, the Vikings were expanding their territory in search of land and natural resources following the Viking Raids in mainland Europe. They traveled to Iceland, then Greenland, and finally the eastern coast of northern Canada. Norse explorers faced numerous obstacles on their journeys, but they still prospered in North America for a time. The Vikings hunted the land and sea mammals, used the land, and found ways to thrive while having hostile relations and contact with the Native …

The Utah Statesman, November 25, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Hacker, Their Actions, And Fear Appeal: A First Look Through The Lens Of Children, Rizu Paudel, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen

Computer Science Student Research

With the increasing use of computers and smartphones by children, their online safety has become a major concern due to the lack of security awareness. Prior studies pointed to children's poor password habit and vague perceptions on the significance of passwords. While users must be sufficiently motivated to perform a target behavior, a little study to date, focused on understanding how we can encourage children towards strong password creation. As we begin to address this gap, we examined children's perceptions of adversary's actions that instill fear in the context of password compromise. Our semi-structured interviews with 20 children (aged between …

A Probabilistic Kp And Hp Driven Auroral Boundary Model Using 28 Years Of Dmsp Data, Riley N. Troyer, Russell Landry, Michael David, Vincent Eccles, Adrian E. Acosta

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

This paper uses energy flux data from the DMSP F6 thru F19 satellites to construct a new equatorward auroral boundary model. This method of processing the data allows one to easily extend boundary detections to different instrument generations because it is based on a standard deviation value instead of hard thresholds. Using this method, the paper provides statistics from just under 1 million auroral boundaries between 1986 and 2014. These statistics are based on normal distribution fits for each Kp/Hp and MLT bin, which allows one to specify the boundary for an arbitrary distribution percentile. The paper compares …

Water Features For The Garden, Loralie Cox

All Current Publications

As humans, we experience tranquil feelings from the sight and sounds of moving water. Water brings a restful quality to even the busiest backyard, the pleasant sounds detracting from unwanted noise and traffic sounds. This fact sheet discusses setting up a water feature in the garden.

Prediction Of Turfgrass Quality Using Multispectral Uav Imagery And Ordinal Forests: Validation Using A Fuzzy Approach, Alexander Hernandez, Shaun Bushman, Paul Johnson, Matthew D. Robbins, Kaden Patten

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Protocols to evaluate turfgrass quality rely on visual ratings that, depending on the rater’s expertise, can be subjective and susceptible to positive and negative drifts. We developed seasonal (spring, summer and fall) as well as inter-seasonal machine learning predictive models of turfgrass quality using multispectral and thermal imagery collected using unmanned aerial vehicles for two years as a proof-of-concept. We chose ordinal regression to develop the models instead of conventional classification to account for the ranked nature of the turfgrass quality assessments. We implemented a fuzzy correction of the resulting confusion matrices to ameliorate the probable drift of the field-based …

When Connecting With Lgbtq+ Communities Helps And Why It Does: A Meta-Analysis Of The Relationship Between Connectedness And Health-Related Outcomes, G. Tyler Lefevor, Sydney A. Sorrell, Samuel J. Skidmore, Kiet D. Huynh, Rachel M, Golightly, Elanor Standifird, Kyrstin Searle, Madelyn Call

Psychology Faculty Publications

We conducted a multilevel meta-analysis of 390 effect sizes from 167 studies with 157,923 participants examining the relationship between connectedness with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) communities and health-related outcomes, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We conducted our initial search in January 2023 in APA PsycInfo, ERIC, Medline, and Open Dissertations, selecting studies that (a) measured LGBTQ+ community connectedness, (b) measured health, and (c) provided an estimate of the relationship between LGBTQ+ community connectedness and health. We found that connectedness with LGBTQ+ communities promotes mental health (r = .11), well-being (r …

Zoographics In The Journal Of The Experimental Analysis Of Behavior: Increasing Inclusion Of Female Animals, Amy L. Odum, Kiernan T. Callister, Mariah E. Willis-Moore, Daniel S. Da Silva, David N. Legaspi, Lucy N. Scribner, Josephine N. Hannah

Psychology Faculty Publications

We examined the zoographics, or the characteristics of nonhuman animal subjects, reported for the entirety of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (JEAB) through the most recent complete year (1958–2023). Animal sex in particular was evaluated to determine whether the lack of inclusion of female subjects in other disciplines extends to JEAB. Through systematic coding of all nonhuman empirical articles, we found consistent underreporting of most zoographics and a disproportionate use of male subjects relative to female subjects. Additionally, animal sex was commonly unreported and the inclusion of both male and female subjects was sparse. …

Cannabinoid-Inspired Inhibitors Of The Sars-Cov-2 Coronavirus 2′ -O-Methyltransferase (2′ -O-Mtase) Non-Structural Protein (Nsp10–16), Menny M. Benjamin, George S. Hanna, Cody F. Dickinson, Yeun-Mun Choo, Xiaojuan Wang, Jessica A. Downs-Bowen, Ramyani De, Tamara R. Mcbrayer, Raymond F. Schinazi, Sarah E. Nielson, Joan M. Hevel, Pankaj Pandey, Robert J. Doerksen, Danyelle M. Townsend, Jie Zhang, Zhiwei Ye, Scott Wyer, Lucas Bialousow, Mark T. Hamann

Chemistry and Biochemistry Student Research

The design and synthesis of antiviral compounds were guided by computationally predicted data against highly conserved non-structural proteins (Nsps) of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Chromenephenylmethanone-1 (CPM-1), a novel biphenylpyran (BPP), was selected from a unique natural product library based on in silico docking scores to coronavirus Nsps with high specificity to the methyltransferase protein (2′ -O-MTase, Nsp10–16), which is responsible for viral mRNA maturation and host innate immune response evasion. To target the 2′ -O-MTase, CPM-1, along with intermediate BPP regioisomers, tetrahydrophenylmethanones (TPMs), were synthesized and structurally validated via nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data and DP4+ structure …

Water Use Efficiency In Rice Under Alternative Wetting And Drying Technique Using Energy Balance Model With Uav Information And Aquacrop In Lambayeque, Peru, Lia Ramos-Fernández, Roxana Peña-Amaro, José Huanuqueño-Murillo, David Quipse-Tito, Mayra Maldonado-Huarhuachi, Elizabeth Heros-Aguilar, Lisveth Flores Del Pino, Edwin Pino-Vargas, Javier Quille-Mamani, Alfonso Torres-Rua

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

In the context of global warming, rising air temperatures are increasing evapotranspiration (ET_c) in all agricultural crops, including rice, a staple food worldwide. Simultaneously, the occurrence of droughts is reducing water availability, affecting traditional irrigation methods for rice cultivation (flood irrigation). The objective of this study was to determine ET_c (water use) and yield performance in rice crop under different irrigation regimes: treatments with continuous flood irrigation (CF) and irrigations with alternating wetting and drying (AWD₅, AWD₁₀, and AWD₂₀) in an experimental area in INIA–Vista Florida. Water balance, rice physiological data, …

The Utah Statesman, October 14, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Faculty Senate Agenda October 7, 2024, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes
• 3:05 University Business
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business
• 3:35 Information
• EPC Report
• Human Resources Policies 330 & 392
• 3:55 Report
• Educational Policies Committee Annual Report
• Honors Annual Report
• 4:05 Old Business
• 4:10 New Business
• Adjourn: 4:30 pm

Discrete Time Series Forecasting Of Hive Weight, In-Hive Temperature, And Hive Entrance Traffic In Non-Invasive Monitoring Of Managed Honey Bee Colonies: Part I, Vladimir A. Kulyukin, Daniel Coster, Aleksey V. Kulyukin, William Meikle, Milagra Weiss

Computer Science Faculty and Staff Publications

From June to October, 2022, we recorded the weight, the internal temperature, and the hive entrance video traffic of ten managed honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies at a research apiary of the Carl Hayden Bee Research Center in Tucson, AZ, USA. The weight and temperature were recorded every five minutes around the clock. The 30 s videos were recorded every five minutes daily from 7:00 to 20:55. We curated the collected data into a dataset of 758,703 records (208,760–weight; 322,570–temperature; 155,373–video). A principal objective of Part I of our investigation was to use the curated dataset to investigate …

Quantifying The Impact Of Rain-On-Snow Induced Flooding In The Western United States, Brennan Lynn Bean, Emma Watts

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

The potentially destructive flooding resulting from rain-on-snow (ROS) events motivates efforts to better incorporate these events and their residual effects into flood-related infrastructure design. This paper examines relationships between measured streamflow surges at streamgages across the Western United States and the meteorological conditions preceding them at SNOTEL stations within the same water catchment. Relevant stream surges are identified using a peak detection algorithm via time series analysis, which are then labeled ROS- or non-ROS-induced based on the preceding meteorological conditions. Both empirical and model-derived differences between ROS- and non-ROS-induced stream surges are then explored, which suggest that ROS-induced stream surges …

Brawny Brackets: Connecting The Dots From Layout Design To Pull Flow, Rick Hardcopf, Vijay Kannan, Jonathan Ebbeler

Management Faculty Publications

Lean production (“Lean”) is a topic frequently taught in undergraduate and graduate operations/supply chain management courses. Lean's “pull system” is a common component of the instruction, and several useful simulations have been developed that allow students to experience a pull system firsthand. While existing simulations focus on the mechanics of a pull system, the Brawny Brackets simulation focuses on improving “flow”—that is, framing a pull system in the context of layout design and batch sizing, and the waste associated with jumbled flow patterns. The robust and flexible simulation allows instructors to expand or contract the topics taught to match the …

Atmospheric Waves Experiment (Awe) Mission Overview, B. Lamborn, L. Scherliess, L. Ruley, H. Latvakoski, E. Syrstad, P. Sevilla, Y. Zhao, G. Cantwell, M. Taylor, D. Pautet

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) mission is a Heliophysics Small Explorers Mission of Opportunity designed to investigate how terrestrial weather affects space weather, via small-scale atmospheric gravity waves (GWs) produced in Earth’s atmosphere. Following its launch to the International Space Station (ISS) in November 2023, AWE began a 2-year mission to explore the global distribution of AGWs, study the processes controlling their propagation throughout the upper atmosphere, and quantify their impacts on the ionosphere–thermosphere–mesosphere (ITM) system. The AWE science instrument is an ISS–compatible version of the Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (AMTM)—a wide field-of-view Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) imager that quantifies gravity …

Atmospheric Waves Experiment (Awe) Advanced Mesopheric Temperature Mapper (Amtm) Optomechanical Design, Fabrication, And Environmental Test, Tyrel C. Rupp, James Champagne, Greg Hopkins, Roy Esplin, Burt Lamborn, Erik Syrstad, Jordan Jacobson

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

The AWE AMTM is a widefield of view (WFOV) infrared imaging radiometer designed for use in measuring the P₁(2) and P₁(4) emission lines of the earth’s OH layer to determine temperature and produce images of gravity waves. The sensor was designed, built, and characterized by Utah State University (USU) Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) and has been externally mounted to the International Space Station (ISS) looking nadir to collect images for analysis for a minimum of two years. The Opto-Mechanical Assembly (OMA) consists of four identical imaging telescopes, each comprised of a fisheye lens, a field lens, …

Mental Model-Based Designs: The Study In Privacy Policy Landscape, Hanieh Atashpanjeh, Rizu Paudel, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen

Computer Science Student Research

Users' mental models influence secure and privacy-preserving behavior in a computing environment. Prior studies on users' mental models of Internet, security tools, and digital privacy show that there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to security and privacy design. However, little study to date has explored the ways to translate users' mental models into interactive security and privacy designs. As we begin to address this gap, we focus on privacy policy in this paper. The typical text-based privacy policy suffers from poor readability and usability. A recent study proposed a Visual Interactive Privacy Policy (VIPP), showing promise to offer …