Digital Commons Network^™

New Fruit And Vegetable Offerings And Challenges Increased Lunch-Time Fruit And Vegetable Consumption Among Fourth-Graders, Cory Ann Hansen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Facilitating nutritional improvement in schools is an important strategy for reversing the alarming trends of overweight and undernourishment currently observed among children in the United States. Compared to national recommendations, many people in the United States under-consume nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits and vegetables. The objective of this study was to determine if various school-based interventions can increase fruit and vegetable consumption among 75 fourth-graders. Interventions included fruit and vegetable challenges, offering a new variety of fruit, and classroom nutrition education. To assess intake, photographs of students' school lunch trays were taken pre- and post-consumption and then analyzed to determine …

Glycemic Load And Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease: The Cache County Study On Memory, Health, And Aging, Eun Young Choi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Carbohydrates are a major energy source for the human body and particularly glucose is the only energy source for the brain. Thus glucose metabolism is important to maintain normal brain function. Evidence showed insulin resistance and diabetes are associated with cognitive decline and a large amount of highly processed carbohydrate intake; in other words, a high glycemic load diet, which increases blood glucose faster and insulin demand, is associated with increased risk of insulin resistance and diabetes.

Based on this premise, the hypothesis that a high glycemic load (GL) diet increases the risk of incident Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was examined …

A Post-Project Assessment Of The Provo River Restoration Project: Channel Design, Reconfiguration, And The Re-Establishment Of Critical Physical Processes, Randy Ray Goetz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A physical assessment of the Provo River Restoration Project was undertaken in order to determine how alterations to the channel were designed, the nature of as-built channel morphology, and the performance of the reconfigured channel in terms of achieving frequent (2-year recurrence) bankfull discharge and increasing transient storage. Measures of channelized and reconfigured channel morphology were obtained using total station survey, digital aerial photography, and pebble counts. Results of geomorphic analysis were compared with similar measurements made by a regional consulting company, and stream channel design data, in order to determine that intended mitigation included reducing channel capacity, increasing sinuosity, …

Ponderosa Pine Mortality And Bark Beetle-Host Dynamics Following Prescribed And Wildland Fires In The Northern Rocky Mountains, Usa, Ryan Stephen Davis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ponderosa pine delayed mortality, and bark beetle attacks and emergence were monitored on 459 trees for 3 years following one prescribed fire in Idaho and one wildland fire in Montana. Resin flow volume (ml) was measured on 145 fire-injured ponderosa pine 2 and 3 years post-fire. Logistic regression was used to construct two predictive ponderosa pine mortality models, and two predictive bark beetle-attack models. Post-fire delayed tree mortality was greater with the presence of primary bark beetles independent of diameter at breast height (DBH) (cm), and was greater in smaller diameter trees most likely due to direct effects of fire-caused …

Factors Relating To The Success Or Failure Of College Algebra Internet Students: A Grounded Theory Study, Christine Walker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to discover the factors that contribute to the success or failure of college algebra for students taking college algebra by distance education Internet, and then generate a theory of success or failure of the group of College Algebra Internet students at one Utah college.

Qualitative data were collected and analyzed on students’ perceptions and perspectives of a College Algebra Internet course that they took during the spring or summer 2006 semesters at a bachelor’s degree-granting college in Utah. The participants were chosen from any of the six sections, and purposeful sampling was …

Decision Analysis Considering Welfare Impacts In Water Resources Using The Benefit Transfer Approach, Ashraf Shaqadan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Decision making in environmental management is faced with uncertainties associated with related environmental variables and processes. Decision makers are inclined to use resources to acquire better information in one or more uncertain variable(s). Typically, with limited resources available, characterizing the feasibility of such investment is desirable yet complicated.

In the context of reducing inherent uncertainty, decision makers need to tackle two difficult questions, first, the optimal selection of variable(s) and second, the optimal level of information collection which produces maximum gain in benefits.

We develop a new framework to assess the socioeconomic value of potential decisions of collecting additional information …

Distributed Hydrologic Modeling For Streamflow Prediction At Ungauged Basins, Christina Bandaragoda

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Hydrologic modeling and streamflow prediction of ungauged basins is an unsolved scientific problem as well as a policy-relevant science theme emerging as a major challenge to the hydrologic community. One way to address this problem is to improve hydrologic modeling capability through the use of spatial data and spatially distributed physically based models. This dissertation is composed of three papers focused on 1) the use of spatially distributed hydrologic models with spatially distributed precipitation inputs, 2) advanced multi-objective calibration techniques that estimate parameter uncertainty and use stream gauge and temperature data from multiple locations, and 3) an examination of the …

The Democratic Purpose Of Postsecondary Education: Comparing Public, Private Nonprofit, And Private For-Profit Mission Statements For Expression Of Democratic Social Purpose, Lon Youngberg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Thomas Jefferson envisioned a symbiotic relationship between democracy and public education because he considered educated citizens to be the critical ingredient of a successful democracy. Nevertheless, political and educational reforms over the past two centuries have not always been kind to the relationship that Jefferson envisioned. This study examines frequency that postsecondary education institutions declare a democratic social purpose in their mission statements. The DSP definition, data instrumentation, and theoretical lens for this study were situated from the Jeffersonian perspective.

Although the primary concern for this study was publicly funded/subsidized postsecondary education, recent enrollment growth in private education and privatization …

Nutrient Mobility From Biosolids Land Application Sites, Mai Anh Vu Tran

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Three types of biosolids (lime-stabilized, aerobically digested, and anaerobically digested biosolids) were applied on 0.13-ha test plots on disturbed rangelands in Western Utah at rates of up to twenty times (20X) the estimated N-based agronomic rate. Soil samples at depths up to 1.5 m were collected and analyzed for nitrogen, phosphorus, regulated metals, pH, and electrical conductivity for up to two years after biosolids application.

NH₄-N at the soil surface (0.2 m) was primarily lost through ammonia volatilization and nitrification. This observation was consistent with reported increases in nitrate (NO₃-N) concentrations found within the soil surface …

Transportation And Quality Adjusted Basis: Does The Law Of One Price Hold For Feeder Cattle?, Chad Harris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Beef cattle and calves are raised in all areas of the United States. Since beef cattle are scattered throughout the US, there are many different types of cattle with numerous different quality characteristics which are valued differently. Many calves raised until weaning age across the US are then sent to cattle feeding areas primarily located in Texas, Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska. The prices that are offered for beef calves vary considerably based on quality and location. The theory of the law of one price suggests that prices in areas that trade should not differ by more than the cost of …

Livestock Foraging Behavior In Response To Interactions Among Alkaloids, Tannins, And Saponins, Tiffanny Lyman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Plant secondary compounds abound in every plant mother nature has to offer. From common garden vegetables to poisonous plants, there are secondary compounds in every plant any animal, as well as we, chooses to eat. In the past, secondary compounds were mostly considered waste products of plant metabolism, but over the last several decades research has shown that these compounds play an active role in plant and animal behavior, health, and productivity. Though often seen only in terms of their negative impacts on intake and production, we are becoming increasingly aware of their beneficial roles in plant, animal, and human …

Discriminating Between Biological And Hydrological Controls Of Hyporheic Denitrification Across A Land Use Gradient In Nine Western Wyoming Streams, Andrew Kenneth Myers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I studied nine streams near Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, covering a land use gradient (urban, agricultural, and forested) to assess influences of land use on denitrification rates and hyporheic exchange. I hypothesized denitrification in the hyporheic zone is governed by availability of chemical substrates and hydrologic transport. I tested this hypothesis by coupling measurements of denitrification potentials in hyporheic sediments with a 2-storage zone solute transport model. Denitrification potentials were lowest on average in hyporheic sediments from forested streams and highest from agricultural streams. Modeling results suggest, on average, agricultural sites are transport-limited by having the slowest exchange rate …

Monitoring Of Indoor Relative Humidity Levels In Residential Dwellings: A Sensor Network Application, Lizabeth Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Indoor Air Quality is an increasing concern in the world today. The mere presence of people in a building or residence can significantly alter indoor air quality. Relative humidity over the range of normal indoor temperatures (66 - 80 degrees Farenheit) has been linked both directly and indirectly to various health and structural problems. The purpose of this project was to discover whether residential dwellings might benefit from an indoor humidification system. The project consisted of the deployment of three separate sensor networks consisting of 12 tmote sky modules manufactured by the Moteiv corporation, each equipped with a temperature and …

Three Essays On Stock Market Volatility, Qianru Li

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Volatility is inherently unobservable, and thus the selection of models and their definition is crucial in financial research. This dissertation attempts to check the role of investor sentiment and forecast Value-at-Risk (VaR) of the stock market using both parametric and nonparametric approaches. In the first essay, based on daily return data of three stock indices and four individual stocks from January 1988 to December 2006, the role of day-of-the-week, as well as investor sentiment, is examined using two approaches: linear regression to test investor sentiment effect on stock returns and Logit regression to test the investor sentiment effect on market …

Development Of A Microelectrode Array Sensing System For Water Quality Monitoring, Robert D. Gardner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis reports the design and fabrication of a low-cost reliable microelectrode array sensing platform and its application toward water quality monitoring, including heavy metal ion detection. Individually addressable microelectrodes were designed in a planar array on a nonconductive glass substrate by a photolithography method. The size, shape, composition, and functionality of the microelectrodes were theoretically explored in order to maximize performance.

The microelectrode array sensing platform was proven and characterized in the K3Fe(CN)₆ electrochemical standard using cyclic voltammetry. The sensor platform exhibited well defined voltammograms and had increased sensitivity relative to a commercially available microelectrode of similar size. …

What We Do Best: Quality Collections Care Practices In Small Museums In Utah, Pamela Wilder Miller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Small museums occupy a distinctive niche in the world of museums. They hold unique objects in their collections, exhibit them, and educate the public about them. All museums have the challenge to care for collections in a manner that will enhance their preservation for future generations. Large museums have paid staff and budgets for collections care. Small museums, as used in this study, have one full-time staff person or less, who are often inadequately trained in caring for collections. Nevertheless, they still must work to preserve their collections for the future. In this qualitative study, the grounded theory method was …

Emerging Literacy And Family Rituals, Melanie Williamson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to extend the research on children’s early literacy development by examining the practice of daily family rituals. The assumption was that the predictability and affective meaning that rituals provide would create an environment that fosters the development of literacy skills and motivation to learn. Measures included the PALS Prek, PPVT-III, and Family Ritual Questionnaire. Although there were no significant positive relationships between regular family rituals such as dinnertime and reading aloud practices and literacy outcomes, negative correlations were found between the assignment of roles on weekends, the routine of vacations, mother’s work hours, and …

Algorithm Development Of The Aglite-Lidar Instrument, Christian Marchant

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Particulate emissions from agricultural operations are increasingly receiving attention from regulatory bodies as a potential source of air pollution. The Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) has developed the Aglite system, a suite of instruments including a lidar that is capable of measuring particulate emission levels from agricultural facilities. This system provides a novel method of measuring particulate mass (PM) pollution, allowing measurements to be taken of diverse types of facilities with high temporal and spatial resolution. This high resolution allows for the measurement of emission levels generated by specific activities, fostering the development and determination of best management practices.

The Aglite …

Self-Rated Health And Community/Social Relations, Rachel Kingsford

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was done to examine the relationship between self-rated health and social/community relations. Due to advances in modern medicine, multifactorial diseases are more prevalent than acute infectious diseases and a greater understanding of the impact sociological variables has on health is of great importance. In prior research, self-rated health has been demonstrated to be a robust predictor of mortality, even when controlling for other variables known to impact health. Presence of a strong social network and attachments to community have been shown to be protective of self-perceptions of health.

The Health and Living study was conducted in the Bear …

Impact Of Land-Applied Biosolids On Forage Quality And Water Movement During Rangeland Restoration Activities, Issaak R. Vasquez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The land application of biosolids to provide nutrients and organic matter is widely practiced in agricultural applications. However, the potential benefit of applying biosolids to disturbed rangelands has not been adequately evaluated. Thus the main goal of the current study was to evaluate the potential economic and environmental benefits of applying biosolids to disturbed rangeland with the main focus on evaluating the impact on forage quality and quantity as a function of biosolids type and application rate. Three types of biosolids (aerobically, anaerobically, and lime stabilized biosolids) were surface applied with no subsequent tilling at various loading rates (1, 5, …

Nutritional Analyses Of Intuitive Eaters As Compared To Dieters, Anne Wilson Banks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Rates of obesity in the United States have been increasing despite an increase of dieters. A new paradigm, intuitive eating, has been introduced to counter the negative effects of dieting. Intuitive eating has not been compared to dieters on a nutritional level, however. The main purpose of this study was to determine the nutritional differences between intuitive eaters and dieters.

Participants were asked to complete questionnaires regarding food consumption and attitudes about eating. Participants (N = 32) were then classified as intuitive eaters or dieters and asked to complete six, 24-hr food logs. Data received from these food logs were …

Dietary Folate, Other B-Vitamins And Incident Alzheimer's Disease: The Cache County Memory, Health, And Aging Study, Chailyn Nelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study involves data from the Cache County Study, which began in 1994 with joined efforts by Duke University, Utah State University, and Johns Hopkins University. It consisted of 5,092 participants from Cache County, Utah, located in the northern part of the state. Characteristics of the population include high participation rates (~ 90%), a majority of participants are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, longer life expectancy than the general US population, a greater than 80% rate of at least a high school education, and low rates of migration.

Subjects cognitive status was screened using the …

Simulated Browsing Impacts On Aspen Suckers' Density, Growth, And Nutritional Responses, Koketso Tshireletso

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Heavy and repeated ungulate browsing on reproductive suckers has limited trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) regeneration on many Western landscapes. However, little is known about the specific effects of season and intensity of browsing. My objectives were to determine the effects of season and intensity of clipping (simulated browsing) on suckers’ (1) density and growth characteristics, and (2) nutritional quality and quantity.

Three randomly selected stands were clear-felled in mid-July, 2005, and fenced. Simulated browsing treatments of 0%, 20%, 40%, and 60% removal of current year’s growth were randomly applied in early, mid-, and late summers of 2006 and …

Yoga As An Intervention For Stress Reduction And Enhanced Wellbeing In African American Athletes, Jennifer Fallon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study explored the preventive impact of a brief Hat ha yoga program on stress-reduction and enhanced wellbeing in a sample of healthy African American college athletes. African Americans suffer higher rates of hypertension and sudden cardiac death syndrome, both linked to stress. Study design was single case, with six replications, utilizing comparison of pre- and post-intervention scores on physiological and psychological indicators of distress and wellbeing. Findings were inconsistent across participants and measures, though generally included beneficial increases in positive affect (i.e ., C = 0.567 , Z = 2 071, p < 0.05) and perceived physical health (i.e., C = 0489, Z = 1. 721, …

Heritability Of Cognition And Memory Loss In The Cache County Memory Study Cohort, Cassidy P. Allen

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

The Cache County Memory Study (CCMS) is a longitudinal study of the elderly in Cache County, Utah, that was initiated over twelve years ago to explore the role of APOE genotype and other environmental factors in dementia risk and cognitive function. Collaboration between the CCMS and investigators with the Utah Population Database (UPDB) at the University of Utah has revealed a significant number of sibships among the original 5,092 CCMS participants, along with complex pedigrees that include additional thousands of ancestors and relatives not enrolled in the Cache Study. Information about these families and pedigrees raises the potential for studies …

Conservation Implications Of Winter-Feeding Policies For Mule Deer In Utah, Chris C. Peterson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Policies regulating wildlife winter-feeding programs may have long-term impacts on conservation and future management of both target and non-target species. In 2000, the Utah Wildlife Board, upon reviewing input from a series of public regional meetings, adopted a Utah Big Game Winter-Feeding Policy. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources used this policy to regulate winter-feeding programs for mule deer in northern Utah, 2001-2005. I monitored the program effects on mule deer biology, activity and migration, and winter browse utilization and productivity.

While feed rations generally compensated for protein and energy deficiencies, they may overlook mineral deficiencies. To determine if mule …

A Retrospective Look At A Sample Of Juvenile Sex Offenders From Two Level Six Residential Treatment Centers In Utah: 1998-2007, Miriam Elizabeth Gunn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The study and treatment of juvenile sex offenders (JSOs) has been steadily growing since its separation from the adult sex offender category in the early 1980s. Although many studies concern themselves with one specific research variable, this study looked at the presence of twelve characteristics historically associated with JSOs: sexual abuse, early exposure to sexuality, conduct disorder problems, exposure to crime in the family of origin, personal substance abuse, family substance abuse, school performance difficulties, school behavior problems, mental health difficulties, social skills deficits, changes in family structure, and nonsexual forms of abuse. This was an effort to see if …

The Risk Of The Female Athlete Triad In Collegiate Athletes And Non-Athletes, Carla Southwick

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Prior research has found the female athlete triad in both female athletes and female non-athletes. This study consisted of 192 female participants attending Utah State University with 103 collegiate athletes and 89 non-athletes. The instruments used included the EAT-26, menstrual cycle history questionnaire, osteoporosis questionnaire, and time spent in exercise questionnaire. Results from the present study found a statistically significant difference between athletes and non-athletes being at risk for the triad with female athletes having a higher percentage (4.8%, 3.4%). No statistical significant correlation was found between the risk of the triad and excessive amounts of time spent in exercise …

Measuring Unawareness Of Cognitive Decline In A Population Of Elderly Individuals: The Cache County Study, Trevor Buckley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The metacognitive skills of elderly individuals were examined using a brief, seven-item questionnaire. The construct validity of the questionnaire was examined using two forms of external criteria, the Modified Mini-Mental State Exam (3MS), and informant reports of functional ability. Analysis of Cronbach’s alpha coefficients suggested moderate levels of internal consistency for the questionnaire (alpha = .75). Factor analysis (principal components) revealed two factors, one functional and one cognitive. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that the metacognition questionnaire did not significantly predict 3MS change over a 3-year interval. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that the metacognition questionnaire significantly predicted informant ratings. The metacognition …

Evaluation Of Three Parent-Focused Disability Information And Healthy Lifestyle Curriculum Modules For Latino Parents Of Children With Developmental Disabilities, Martin E. Blair

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Parents of children with disabilities need accurate information to help them provide tailored services and supports to their families. This is especially true for immigrant Latino families who tend to experience poor overall health and who tend to avoid formal services and supports. Based on input gathered from Latino Parents of children with disabilities, a three module curriculum, "Empowering Families," was developed. Following a cultural appropriateness review of the curriculum and associated measurement instruments, revisions were made to the content and presentation procedure. This was followed by a field test of the curriculum with two groups of Latino parent/caregivers of …