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When The Desert Meets The Classroom: A Mixed Methods Study On Experiential Learning And Andragogy For Design-Situated Curricula, Julie K. Lamarra

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study’s significance examined how outdoor experience in place can influence students’ designs in the context of outdoor recreation. Historically, experiential education and outdoor education have been used widely across curricula but are not so commonly accepted in design education except in the form of internships. This study sought to examine how being in the place that activity occurs and learning about the cultural aspects of place, activity, and community impacted students’ designs.

This study looked at how existing theories such as Landscapes of Practice and the development of boundaries, knowledge, and identity are formed within communities of practice and …

A Mixed-Methods Approach To Explore Student Perceived Needs For Peer Mentorship In A College Of Engineering, Darcie Christensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

“Nobody makes it alone. Nobody has made it alone” (NOVA SHRM & Dulles SHRM, 2012, p. 5). Mentoring generally has positive outcomes, such as increasing output, staying in work or school, increasing confidence, and others (Campbell & Campbell, 2007; Crisp & Cruz, 2009; Eby et al., 2008; NASEM, 2019; Pfund et al., 2016). This dissertation study focused on student perceived needs for peer mentorship in engineering, which can fill in gaps of traditional mentorship by pairing mentors and mentees at similar levels, increasing comfort and emotional support to mentees (Allen et al., 2017; Haggard et al., 2011; Kram & Isabella, …

Insights On Reticulate Evolution In Ferns, With Special Emphasis On The Genus Ceratopteris, Sylvia P. Kinosian

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The history of life is often viewed as a evenly branching tree; however, in reality it is more like a tangled hedgerow. Many groups of organisms are known to have such a net-like or reticulate evolutionary history, but it is particularly common in ferns and lycophytes (also known as pteridophytes). This dissertation investigates how net-like evolution affects different groups of ferns, with a special emphasis on the model species C-fern (Ceratopteris richardii, also called the antler or water sprite fern). Genomic data are utilized to under-stand hybridization, cryptic species and reticulate evolution in two groups of ferns. The …

The Effects Of An Active Learning Intervention On Increasing Parental Efficacy Regarding Sexual Communication With Toddlers And Young Children, Melissa M. Ferguson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the United States, it is estimated that 1 in 5 children will experience sexual abuse before the age of 18. To reduce child sexual abuse more effectively and to increase positive sex attitudes and behaviors, a change is needed in how individuals and society view and discuss sexual health and sex education. Parents are in a powerful and readily available role to teach sexual topics in a positive way, but many are lacking sexual knowledge and confidence in their ability to address sexual topics with their children. This study looked at how personal and contextual factors relate to confidence …

Computational Techniques For Elucidating Plant-Pathogen Interactions: A Case Study On Citrus-Hlb Interactome, Cristian D. Loaiza

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Citrus fruit industry in the United States has been affected during the last two decades because of the outbreak of the citrus greening disease, also known as Huanglongbing (HLB). Many people and organizations are working in therapeutics to help mitigate the impact of this disease, unfortunately there is not a cure yet. There are many mechanisms that needs to be understood about this disease, especially at the molecular level. Not only HLB, but many other infectious diseases are controlled by the interaction of proteins from the host (Citrus in this case) and from the pathogen that causes the disease. …

Active Stability Monitoring And Stability Control Of Dc Microgrids Using Incremental Continuous Injection, Rohail Hassan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Electrified transportation and integration of renewable energy in the electric power grid requires the use of power electronic converters for integrating different forms of power; from ac to dc, dc to ac, dc to dc, etc. Recent trend towards electrifying automobiles, aircraft and ships, and increasing penetration of renewable energy has increased the required power levels and number of the power electronics converters connected together in a dc microgrid system. Stable operation of these interfacing converters for all operating conditions has been a topic of renewed interest in the last couple of decades. Traditionally, dc microgrids have been designed conservatively …

Local And Systemic Effects Of Flavonoid Intake With Submaximal Cycling Exercise: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Stephanie Kung

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Moderate to high intensity endurance exercise is a known cause of exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome, a condition often associated with intestinal complaints such as discomfort, cramps, and diarrhea. Oftentimes, elevated intestinal inflammation and permeability (a “leaky gut”) are also observed. Previous research has shown that flavonoids, natural compounds found in many fruits and vegetables, may mitigate these exercise-induced effects. In particular, certain cocoa powders contain high levels of flavonoids, and chocolate milk is a good source of protein and sugars for sustaining intense activity. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a dairy pre-workout beverage, with …

Predator Defense And Host Selection Behavior Of Billbugs (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae), Desireè M. Wickwar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Billbugs are a complex of weevils that feed on the roots of turfgrass, causing severe damage to the plants. These pests are traditionally managed with applications of insecticides. However, there is a need for non-chemical management tools. Here I investigate billbug behavior in relation to two potential avenues for more sustainable management: using resident predators to suppress billbugs (Chapter II) and selecting specific turfgrasses that resist billbug damage (Chapter III). In Chapter II, I investigate the effects of predator presence and cues associated with their presence on billbug behavior. Though resident predators contribute very little to billbug suppression through directly …

Control Of Series Connected Battery Powered Modules, Joshua K. Wooten

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Batteries are a very common type of power source used for all sorts of applications. However, these batteries do not last forever. The purpose of this thesis is to explain and implement a strategy which allows batteries to have a second life; to be able to be re-charged and re-used for another set period of time once they no longer meet a system’s requirements. The preferable way to do this is to make each cell have the same state of charge (SOC) which will lead to a longer lasting battery pack. These batteries will be hooked up to a battery …

Neurotrophic Factor Genetics Of Cognitive Progression And Neuropsychiatric Symptom Presentation In Alzheimer's Disease And Related Disorders, Joshua Matthew Matyi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Cache County Study on Memory in Aging (CCSMA) and subsequent Dementia Progression Study (DPS) were two research studies that took place in Cache County, Utah. These studies followed 5092 participants aged 65 or older for approximately 12 years and looked at risk and protective factors for dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. One of the factors investigated was genes that are known to influence brain health, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein found in the brain that helps with the survival of brain cells.

BDNF genes have been shown to be associated with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) …

An Empirical And Theoretical Investigation Of Random Reinforced Forests And Shallow Convolutional Neural Networks, Nikhil Ganta

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For many years, the global population of honey bees has been decreasing due to inconclusive reasons resulting in the syndrome Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). This syndrome has been plaguing bees and affecting commercial agriculture pollination since 1998. Many researchers have suggested that pesticides, in-hive chemicals, pathogens, etc., might be the causes of CCD. Researchers also believe that any changes in a beehive can disturb the bees, which may negatively affect their health. Honey bees are the most vital among all the animal pollinators contributing to approximately 30% of the world’s commercial pollination services. As they are of keystone importance to …

Essays On The Economics Of Regional Development And Public Policy, Wai Yan Siu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

My dissertation integrating theory and practice into fostering sustainable, ecofriendly, and equitable public policy that promote the well-being of generations to come. My main research questions are: how can we transform the complex socioeconomic systems to build future resilience? In the first chapter, I identify and quantify the effect of the presence of tight oil and gas extraction on the agricultural productivity. This study informs evidence-based policymaking on pressing environmental issues. In the next chapter, I studied the effectiveness of existing policy of urban growth control from an evolutionary landscape and found that the decades-old regulation does not fulfill its …

Characterization And Immobilization Of Thermophilic Lipases For The Interesterification Of Soybean Oil, Teif A. Najm

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Lipases are currently used in food technology for the modification of fats and oils. Lipase can synthesize, hydrolyze, and rearrange fatty acids, thus, resulting in their extensive use in industrial applications. The thermal stability of lipase is an essential characteristic for this application. Thermophilic bacteria are an important source for producing thermostable lipases because of their tolerance to high heat. Lipolytic enzymes can be purified using several purification methods, but these purification processes are often expensive and complex. Results from this study showed that lipases can be extract from thermophilic bacteria (Geobacillius stearothermophilus (GS) and Anoxybacillus flavithermus (AF)). Molecular …

Alienation, Modernization, And Animal Welfare: Human-Animal Relationships At The Farm, State, And Country Levels, Michael D. Briscoe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Our relationships with animals are important for us as humans, for the environment, and for the animals themselves. In this dissertation I look at the relationships between humans and animals at three scales: farm, U.S. state, and country. Specifically, I address how factors like economic growth, technological innovation, and globalization affect human relationships with animals. Understanding how these factors influence human-animal relationships is important for improving these relationships and deciding which directions will most contribute to sustainable outcomes. I address the social factors that influence human-animal relationships in three studies.

In the first study I surveyed and interviewed dairy farmers …

Assessing The Contribution Of Different Causes Of Death To Life Expectancy Disparities In The United States, Max Tyler Roberts

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Life expectancy is not the same for all people in the United States. While some enjoy life expectancies of more than 80 years, others are at risk of dying much sooner. The following studies investigate how different causes of death such as homicide, diabetes, heart disease, and drug poisoning contribute across the life span to: 1) life expectancy gaps across different sex, racial, ethnic, and education groups, and 2) life expectancy change over time for different sex, racial, ethnic, and education groups. Each study focuses on a different area of the U.S., with Chapter 2 focusing on the national-level, Chapter …

Deaths Of Despair In The United States, Amin Etemadifar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Life expectancy is one of the most important indicators of public health and is an indication of overall health status in a population. Thanks to public health and medical advancements over recent decades, the life expectancy of all nations has significantly increased, and that is more true for developed nations like the United States. However, the most recent data shows the longevity of Americans has become stagnant since 2010. So the first question that comes to mind is why that is happening, and the main goal of this dissertation is to answer that question.

In order to address that question, …

Testing An Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Website For Hoarding: A Randomized Waitlist-Controlled Trial, Jennifer Krafft

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Hoarding disorder is relatively common and seriously affects those who experience it. However, it is difficult to access hoarding treatment, due to barriers such as availability and stigma. Moreover, only one treatment is well-established for hoarding (CBT), and it does not directly address important processes such as mindfulness and acceptance. Therefore, in order to make treatment more useful and easy to access, this study tested a self-help program that focused on teaching mindfulness and acceptance as related to hoarding. The self-help program was compared to a waitlist condition; participants were randomly assigned to use the website or wait 12 weeks. …

Extended Maternal And Paternal Hereditary Risk For Alzheimer’S Disease Examined By Sex In A Sample Of Community Dwelling Older Adults In Cache County, Utah, Elizabeth K. Vernon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and this number is expected to rise and surpass 12.7million individuals by the year 2050. Currently there is no cure for the disease and prior research has focused on prevention by identifying risk factors. Known risk factors associated with AD include older age, female sex, genetics, family history of AD, genotype of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene, and vascular risk factors (e.g., cholesterol, hypertension) and conditions or events (e.g., CHF, stroke). The effects of many of the above risk factors have differed in men and women, but few studies …

Nitrogen Fertilizer Showed Little Effect On First- And Second-Year Corn Yield And Quality Following Alfalfa, Bailey Brent Shaffer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Silage corn (Zea mays L.) following alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a common crop rotation in Utah and southern Idaho. This is done, in part, to take advantage of residual nitrogen (N) fixed by bacteria that work in symbiosis with the roots of alfalfa. After alfalfa is terminated, much of the N that was fixed by the plant is released into the soil and becomes available for use by the rotational crop. This reduces the amount of N fertilizer that growers need to apply. The Utah Fertilizer Guide currently recommends an N credit to a rotational crop following …

Telling Her People's Story: Mae Timbimboo Parry, Matriarch Of The Northwestern Band Of The Shoshone Nation, 1919-2007, Dean Mcguire

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mae Timbimboo Parry played a significant role in changing the public’s narrative about the Bear River Massacre and shaping the current knowledge about Northwestern Shoshone history. According to Mae Parry, Northwestern Shoshones were not desperate victims of violence but rather Native Americans who adapted from a great tragedy and survived on their own terms. This thesis explores the meaning of her work for Northwestern Shoshones today.

Development Of An Anisotropic Thermal Stress Model For A Low-Erosion Hybrid Rocket Nozzle System, Judson C. Stephens

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Hybrid rockets are rockets which employ a solid fuel grain with a liquid oxidizer. Hybrids have many promising potential applications, however they also have a few drawbacks. Of interest to this research is the increased rate of nozzle erosion inherent to hybrid rockets. In order to address this issue, a low-erosion nozzle is proposed and evaluated.

Don't Get Me Started About The Water: Foodways And Power In Juvenal's Satire V, Alex Reese

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Don’t Get Me Started About the Water analyzes the food in the dinner of Juvenal’s fifth satire from the perspective of Roman foodways in the first and second centuries. This analysis provides a surprising conclusion: although the guest and host are served dishes differing vastly in quality, neither man gets a nutritious meal. This follows with arguments elsewhere in the Satires, namely that Rome itself kills its occupants and the best course of action is to abandon the city for the countryside.

Risk Factors For Early And Late Onset Depression And Subsequent Risk For Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias In An Older Adult Population, Jordan Kugler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Cache County Study on Memory in Aging (CCSMA) was a research study that followed 5092 participants aged 65 or older over the course of 12 years, examining risk and protective factors for dementia. One of these factors was depression history, which has evidence for a connection with dementia, such that those with a history of depression are more likely to develop dementia later in life. However, the existing literature has yet to examine sex differences, genetic and psychosocial factors that contribute to earlier or later onset of depression and how these factors in turn might later increase risk for …

A Program Evaluation Of Competency Training Within A College Student Health Center, Kala E. Randazzo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Integrated primary care (IPC) is a method for providing medical and psychotherapy services within a single primary care setting. Doctoral psychology students pursuing a career in psychotherapy may receive training in IPC as doctoral students. However, the field of IPC has a limited understanding of the current quality of IPC training for doctoral psychology students. The current study utilized professional competency guidelines for practicing psychology in IPC settings to evaluate doctoral training provided at the Utah State University Student Health Center. Doctoral psychology training at the Student Health Center was evaluated for how well it provides training in IPC competencies …

Effect Of High-Intensity Ultrasound On Bubble Dynamics, Oxidation, And Crystallization Behavior Of Fats, Juhee Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) provide desired texture, stability, and extended shelf life in food products. These types of lipids have been commonly used in food industry. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided to remove generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status of PHOs in 2015 due to the association between PHOs and coronary heart disease (CHD), type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases. Hence, it is necessary to find alternative new healthy lipids or novel processing conditions that can be used to replace the functionality of PHO. Among the processing methods to be used in alternative PHOs fats, high-intensity …

Evaluation Of Bioretention Performance In Northern Utah As A Function Of Media, Vegetation, And Loading, Trixie Rife

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pollutants found in stormwater runoff are a growing environmental concern. The EPA has identified bioretention (BR) systems as a best management practice for the control of pollutants in stormwater runoff. BR systems reduce pollutant loads discharged to surface water bodies and to lower pollutant concentrations of water infiltrating into underlying groundwater. However, knowledge of the performance of BR systems in semi-arid Western climates is lacking. This study was conducted at three field sites in Northern Utah to evaluate the effectiveness of various natural and engineered media and various plant species on pollutant removal subjected to a range of pollutant loadings …

Utilization Of Protective Cultures To Reduce Late Gas Formation By Paucilactobacillus Wasatchensis, Ireland R. Green

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Cheesemaking is a process susceptible to defects caused by microbes not purposefully added by the manufacturer. While these bacteria are not a health concern, they can cause problems such as producing carbon dioxide inside the cheese. This can cause slits and cracks in cheese making cheese unsuitable for slicing. One such bacteria identified by cheese researchers at Utah State University and Weber State University is Paucilactobacillus wasatchensis. When present in cheese, it can cause gas formation by using galactose to supply its energy. In doing so, it takes this six-carbon sugar and converts it into a five-carbon sugar and …

The Influence Of Culture On Behavior-Based Tasks Of Impulsivity, Byron H. Garcia

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Background: Among Latinx youth residing in the United States (U.S), the adoption of U.S cultural behaviors, values, and identity has been proposed to increase risk for negative outcomes, such as substance use. Research also suggests that the maintenance of Latinx cultural behaviors, values, and identity may be protective. Although there is an established link between impulsivity and substance use outcomes, very little research has sought to explore factors that influence impulsivity among Latinx groups. Furthermore, behavioral tasks have made substantial contributions as measures of impulsivity, yet few studies have examined cultural identity domains in relation to these behavioral tasks.

Objective: …

Comparison Of Microbial Diversity Of Fifteen Aged Cheddar Cheeses From Different Regions Using Next Generation Sequencing, Sophie L. Overbeck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This project was funded by BUILD Dairy to test the efficacy of using next generation sequencing to study Cheddar cheese microbiomes. The 15 different cheese samples used in this study were purchased in the retail market from various manufacturers and different origins of manufacture. Sequencing was done by the Center for Integrated Biosystems at Utah State University using Illumina MiSeq.

The aim of this project is to provide further understanding of how using next generation sequencing can benefit the study of bacterial communities and their influence during the aging process of Cheddar cheese and the possibility of identifying defect causing …

Deep Learning Data And Indexes In A Database, Vishal Sharma

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A database is used to store and retrieve data, which is a critical component for any software application. Databases requires configuration for efficiency, however, there are tens of configuration parameters. It is a challenging task to manually configure a database. Furthermore, a database must be reconfigured on a regular basis to keep up with newer data and workload. The goal of this thesis is to use the query workload history to autonomously configure the database and improve its performance. We achieve proposed work in four stages: (i) we develop an index recommender using deep reinforcement learning for a standalone database. …