Digital Commons Network^™

Na Lidar And Mighti/Icon Investigation On Turbopause Tidal Waves, Tao Yuan, Michael H. Stevens, Christoph R. Englert, Thomas J. Immel

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Local full diurnal coverage of temperature variations across the turbopause (~ 90 km to 115 km altitude) is achieved by combining the nocturnal observations of a Sodium (Na) Doppler lidar on the Utah State University (USU) campus (41.7?N, 248.2?E) and NASA MIGHTI/ICON daytime observations made in the same vicinity. In this paper, utilizing this hybrid dataset during summer 2020 between June 12th and July 15th, we retrieve the temperature signatures of diurnal and semidiurnal tidal waves in this region. The tidal amplitudes are similar for both components: less than 5 K below ~ 98 km but increase considerably above, up …

The 2020 National Snow Load Study, Brennan L. Bean, Marc Maguire, Yan Sun, Jadon Wagstaff, Salam Al-Rubaye, Jesse Wheeler, Scout Jarman, Miranda Rogers

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

The United States has a rich history of snow load studies at the state and national level. The current ASCE 7 snow loads are based on studies performed at the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) ca. 1980 and updated ca. 1993. The map includes large regions where a site-specific case study is required to establish the load. Many state reports attempt to address the "case-study regions" designated in the current ASCE 7 design snow load requirements. The independently developed state-specific requirements vary in approach, which can lead to discrepancies in requirements at state boundaries. In addition, there has …

Reviewing Tools For Evaluating K-12 Instructional Materials Through An Implementation Lens, Kristen R. Rolf, Sarah E. Pinkelman, Kaitlin Bundock

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

This review examined how state-created tools for evaluating instructional materials support local schools and school districts to address implementation when adopting instructional materials. We followed a priori, systematic procedures to conduct a web search and visit each state’s department of education website in search of instructional materials evaluation tools. After identifying all of the state-created instructional materials evaluation tools in the areas of English/language arts and mathematics, we reviewed the tools and coded them for evidence of alignment with the six implementation indicators defined by the Hexagon Tool (Metz and Louison, The Hexagon Tool: exploring context. Based on Kiser, Zabel, …

Management Innovations For Resilient Public Rangelands: Adoption Constraints And Considerations For Interagency Diffusion, Gwendŵr R. Meredith, Mark W. Brunson, Stuart P. Hardegree

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Maintaining healthy rangeland ecosystems requires adaptive co-management at the landscape scale. Because the majority of western rangelands are publicly owned, it is critical that federal land management agencies work together in generating and sharing information. Promotion and communication of rangeland management innovations among agencies is one means of sharing information. Two rangeland management innovations, the Weather-Centric Restoration Tool and Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health, were studied in order to better understand agency adoption decisions and barriers to diffusion of the innovations across agencies. Using a mixed qualitative methodology, we interviewed land managers across the floristic Great Basin and in southeastern …

Data From: Realization Of Lewis Basic Sodium Anion In The Nabh3- Cluster, Alexander I. Boldyrev, Nikita Fedik

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Project reports the first example of dative bond formed by Na- (anion) in a cluster NaBH3-.

Eager Sentinels: The Pcr-Free Biosensor For A Fast, Simple, And Sensitive Detection Of Rna, Artavazd Badalyan

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Data For "Arch_Covid_Crowding_Vc", Wayne Freimund, Zachary D. Miller

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Monitoring of visitor use in Arches National Park to assess social distancing behaviors of visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Physical And Chemical Limnology Of Yukon’S Largest Lake, Lhù’Ààn Mân’ (Kluane Lake), Prior To The 2016 ‘A’Ą̈Y Chù’ Diversion, Elloria A. Mcknight, Heidi Swanson, Janice Brahney, David S. Hik

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Despite increasing evidence that large northern lakes are rapidly changing due to climate change, descriptive baseline studies of their physicochemical properties are largely lacking, limiting our ability to detect or predict change. This study represents a comprehensive scientific assessment of the limnology of Yukon’s largest lake: Lhù’ààn Mân’ (Kluane Lake), an important waterbody for local and First Nation communities, and key habitat for trout and salmon. Water sample and instrument data generated throughout 2015 describe distinct regions within the lake and their respective seasonal variability. A deep, glacially-influenced southern basin was characterized by cold, turbid, poorly stratified, unproductive, and nutrient-poor …

Comparison Of Bifurcated Halogen With Hydrogen Bonds, Steve Scheiner

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Bifurcated halogen bonds are constructed with FBr and FI as Lewis acids, paired with NH₃ and NCH bases. The first type considered places two bases together with a single acid, while the reverse case of two acids sharing a single base constitutes the second type. These bifurcated systems are compared with the analogous H-bonds wherein FH serves as the acid. In most cases, a bifurcated system is energetically inferior to a single linear bond. There is a larger energetic cost to forcing the single σ-hole of an acid to interact with a pair of bases, than the other way …

Faculty Senate Agenda, January 11, 2021, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC Monthly Report – December 3, 2020
• HR 385 Code Change (redline-summary-final)
• Council on Teacher Education Annual Report
• Scholarship Advisory Board Annual Report
• Ombudsperson Report
• USU Promotion and Tenure Process Survey
• USU Response to Dixie State University Resolution

Development Of An Understanding Of Reactive Mercury In Ambient Air: A Review, Mae Sexauer Gustin, Sarrah M. Dunham-Cheatham, Jiaoyan Huang, Steve Lindberg, Seth N. Lyman

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

This review focuses on providing the history of measurement efforts to quantify and characterize the compounds of reactive mercury (RM), and the current status of measurement methods and knowledge. RM collectively represents gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) and that bound to particles. The presence of RM was first recognized through measurement of coal-fired power plant emissions. Once discovered, researchers focused on developing methods for measuring RM in ambient air. First, tubular KCl-coated denuders were used for stack gas measurements, followed by mist chambers and annular denuders for ambient air measurements. For ~15 years, thermal desorption of an annular KCl denuder in …

Practical Implementation Of A General Numerical Lifting-Line Method, Cory D. Goates, Douglas F. Hunsaker

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

A general numerical lifting-line method provides corrections to overcome the singularities inherent in the lifting-line downwash integrals in certain cases. These singularities have previously limited the scope of lifting-line theory to straight wings not in sideslip; in all other cases, more traditional numerical approaches to solving Prandtl's hypothesis fail to grid converge. However, this general numerical lifting-line method grid converges even for swept wings and wings in sideslip. In the current work, we apply the general numerical lifting-line method to any number of wings with arbitrary geometry. We also provide a dimensional derivation of the basic general numerical lifting-line equations …

3d-Printed Wings With Morphing Trailing-Edge Technology, Benjamin C. Moulton, Douglas F. Hunsaker

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

In recent years, various groups have attempted to improve aircraft efficiency using wings with morphing trailing-edge technology. Most of these solutions are difficult to manufacture or have limited morphing capability. The present paper outlines a research effort to develop an easy to manufacture, fully 3D-printed morphing wing. This approach is advantageous due to the low cost, minimal man-hours required for manufacturing, and speed at which design iterations can be explored. Several prototypes were designed and tested and lessons learned from these iterations have been documented. Additionally, printer settings have been tested and catalogued to assist others attempting to reproduce these …

Comparison Of Theoretical And High-Fidelity Aerostructural Solutions, Jeffrey D. Taylor, Douglas F. Hunsaker

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

As contemporary aerostructural research in aircraft design trends toward high-fidelity computational methods, aerostructural solutions based on theory are often neglected or forgotten. In fact, in many modern aerostructural wing optimization studies, the elliptic lift distribution is used as a benchmark in place of theoretical aerostructural solutions with more appropriate constraints. In this paper, we review several theoretical aerostructural solutions that could be used as benchmark cases for wing design studies, and we compare them to high-fidelity solutions with similar constraints. Solutions are presented for studies with 1) constraints related to the wing integrated bending moment, 2) constraints related to the …

Sensitivity And Estimation Of Flying-Wing Aerodynamic, Propulsion, And Inertial Parameters Using Simulation, Jaden Thurgood, Douglas F. Hunsaker

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

This paper explores the difficulties of aircraft system identification, specifically parameter estimation, for a rudderless aircraft. A white box method is used in conjunction with a nonlinear six degree-of-freedom aerodynamic model for the equations of motion in order to estimate 33 parameters that govern the aerodynamic, inertial, and propulsion forces within the mathematical model. The analysis is conducted in the time-domain of system identification. Additionally, all the parameters are estimated using a single flight rather than a series of shorter flights dedicated to estimating specific sets of parameters as is typically done. A final flight plan is developed with a …

2021 Report To The Governor On Utah's Land, Water, And Air, Janet Quinney Lawson Institute For Land, Water, And Air

Reports

This report serves as a 2021 snapshot of key issues and concerns with Utah’s shared resources. It highlights gathered data that is available to provide context to these issues, as well as identifies areas where more study is needed. Addressing these challenges will enable Utah policymakers and other statewide leaders to make informed decisions for the future. Under the authorship of 43 researchers and experts and the general guidance of 32 advisory committee members, the report outlines 25 issues and trends to pay attention to in the coming months and years.

Which Principal Is The Right Principal? Student Achievement, School Finances, And Community Stakeholders, Sarah Nielsen, Amanda Taggart

Teacher Education and Leadership Student Research

When a struggling high school may be placed on turnaround status during a bid for a school bond, the district considers replacing a beloved principal with a record of low test scores with an unpopular principal whose record shows increased student achievement. The school board must decide whether to prioritize finances, community support, student achievement, or state-level demands. This case presents many difficult decisions schools and districts are required to make. Key factors discussed in the case include principal turnover, student academic achievement, teacher retention, school culture, and power.

Computational Modeling For Decision-Making Under Climate Change Uncertainty: Reservoir Simulation Game, Julianne Quinn

All ECSTATIC Materials

Almost every decision you make is under uncertainty. Will I need a rain jacket in the afternoon? Will they say yes if I ask them out? Is 1 hour enough time to finish this assignment? Oftentimes, we can use computational modeling to simulate different scenarios of what might happen in the future to inform what decisions are best on average, or what decisions minimize the worst case outcome. For example, you could decide what player to draft for your Fantasy Football team by simulating player performance. In this activity, we will simulate how much water to release from a dam …

Computational Model Of Angiogenesis In Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Kelsey Bradshaw, Michael Cotner, Jacilyn Fielding, Andrew Kjar, Teren Teeples

Biological Engineering

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

• Leads to vision loss and blindness

• Localized to subretinal layers (Figure 1.)

Estimating Trends Of Common Raven Populations In North America, 1966–2018, Seth M. Harju, Peter S. Coates, Seth J. Dettenmaier, Jonathan B. Dinkins, Pat J. Jackson, Michael P. Chenaille

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Over the last half century, common raven (Corvus corax; raven) populations have increased in abundance across much of North America. Ravens are generalist predators known to depredate the eggs and young of several sensitive species. Quantifying raven population increases at multiple spatial scales across North America will help wildlife resource managers identify areas where population increases present the greatest risk to species conservation. We used a hierarchical Bayesian modeling approach to analyze trends of standardized raven counts from 1966 to 2018 using Breeding Bird Survey data within each Level I and II ecoregion of the United States and Canada. …

Toward Open And Reproducible Environmental Modeling By Integrating Online Data Repositories, Computational Environments, And Model Application Programming Interfaces, Young-Don Choi, Jonathan L. Goodall, Jeffrey M. Sadler, Anthony M. Castronova, Andrew Bennett, Zhiyu Li, Bart Nijssen, Shaowen Wang, Martyn P. Clark, Daniel P. Ames, Jeffery S. Horsburgh, Hong Yi, Christina Bandaragoda, Martin Seul, Richard Hooper, David G. Tarboton

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Cyberinfrastructure needs to be advanced to enable open and reproducible environmental modeling research. Recent efforts toward this goal have focused on advancing online repositories for data and model sharing, online computational environments along with containerization technology and notebooks for capturing reproducible computational studies, and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for simulation models to foster intuitive programmatic control. The objective of this research is to show how these efforts can be integrated to support reproducible environmental modeling. We present first the high-level concept and general approach for integrating these three components. We then present one possible implementation that integrates HydroShare (an online …

Getting Lead Off The Landscape: A Theory And Data-Driven Approach To Increase Non-Lead Ammunition Use Among Hunters In The California Condor Range Of Utah (Usa), Jacob C. Richards, Jordan W. Smith

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

The leading cause of mortality in California condors (condors) is lead poisoning, which occurs when condors ingest lead-based ammunition left in carcasses. As a critically endangered species with approximately 100 individuals remaining in the American southwest, increasing the adoption of non-lead ammunition is essential to the recovery of the species. In Utah, the Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) uses communication with hunters as the primary tool for increasing the adoption of non-lead ammunition in southwestern Utah. In this research, we use social science theory and data collected from a survey of hunters throughout the region to develop a strategic communication …

"Prophet", Terry A. Messmer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This is the letter from the editor-in-chief.

Common Raven Impacts On Nesting Western Snowy Plovers: Integrating Management To Facilitate Species Recovery, Cheryl Strong, Kriss K. Neuman, Jenny L. Hutchinson, Jamie K. Miller, Amber L. Clark, Lena Chang, Joanna Iwanicha, Elizabeth Feucht, Matthew J. Lau, David J. Lauten, Sarah Markegard, Benjamin Pearl, David L. Sherer, Rachel Tertes, Susie Tharratt, Travis Wooten

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The U.S. Pacific coast population of the western snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus; plover) has declined due to loss and degradation of coastal habitats, predation, and anthropogenic disturbance. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the subspecies in 1993 as threatened under the Endangered Species Act due to the population declines and habitat loss. Predation of nests and chicks has been identified as an important cause of historic population declines, and thus, most predator management actions for this subspecies are focused on reducing this pressure. In recent years, common ravens (Corvus corax; ravens) have become the most …

A Meta-Analysis Of Environmental Tradeoffs Of Hydropower Dams In The Sekong, Sesan, And Srepok (3s) Rivers Of The Lower Mekong Basin, Sarah E. Null, Ali Farshid, Gregory Goodrum, Curtis A. Gray, Sapana Lohani, Christina N. Morrisett, Liana Prudencio, Ratha Sor

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

In Mekong riparian countries, hydropower development provides energy, but also threatens biodiversity, ecosystems, food security, and an unparalleled freshwater fishery. The Sekong, Sesan, and Srepok Rivers (3S Basin) are major tributaries to the Lower Mekong River (LMB), making up 10% of the Mekong watershed but supporting nearly 40% of the fish species of the LMB. Forty-five dams have been built, are under construction, or are planned in the 3S Basin. We completed a meta-analysis of aquatic and riparian environmental losses from current, planned, and proposed hydropower dams in the 3S and LMB using 46 papers and reports from the past …

Nd2 As An Additional Genetic Marker To Improve Identification Of Diving Ducks Involved In Bird Strikes, Sarah A. M. Luttrell, Sergei Drovetski, Nor Faridah Dahlan, Damani Eubanks, Carla J. Dove

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Knowing the exact species of birds involved in damaging collisions with aircraft (bird strikes) is paramount to managing and preventing these types of human–wildlife conflicts. While a standard genetic marker, or DNA barcode (mitochondrial DNA gene cytochrome-c oxidase 1, or CO1), can reliably identify most avian species, this marker cannot distinguish among some closely related species. Diving ducks within the genus Aythya are an example of congeneric waterfowl involved in bird strikes where several species pairs cannot be reliably identified with the standard DNA barcode. Here, we describe methods for using an additional genetic marker (mitochondrial DNA gene NADH …

State Of Bird Damage Management, George M. Linz

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This is the letter from George M. Linz, associate editor for the special issue on bird damage management in Human–Wildlife Interactions.

Modeling Migratory Nongame Birds: A Plea For Data, George M. Linz

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The Bird Damage Management Conference held February 10–13, 2020 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA provided a forum for professionals from across the United States to discuss and share management approaches, research strategies, policy, and messaging regarding the management of blackbirds (Icteridae), starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), corvids (Corvidae), and vultures (Cathartidae). Mathematical models were presented at the conference and subsequently discussed in a special issue of Human–Wildlife Interactions. Rapidly changing landscape variables point to the need for detailed systematic population monitoring programs with specific objectives. Nationwide periodic monitoring would provide data about changes not only in bird populations …

Traveling-Wave Electrophoresis: 1d Model, Austin Green

Physics Capstone Projects

A 1D model of traveling-wave electrophoresis predicts that molecular diffusion raises the trapping threshold and that other physical properties of the species effect the trapping threshold as well. Small concentrations, below 5μM, raise the trapping threshold for high diffusivity species, resulting in a lower efficiency. Species with a mid-range electrophoretic mobility and diffusivity have their trapping threshold slightly lowered with an increase in concentration, leading to more particles traveling with the wave.

An Exploration Of Teacher Preparation Practices With Foundational Knowledge Of Literacy, Marla K. Robertson, Laurie A. Sharp, Roberta D. Raymond, Rebekah E. Piper

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

The Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals 2017 published by the International Literacy Association provide the basis for high-quality literacy teacher preparation. This study used qualitative survey responses to explore the literacy practices that teacher educators use to promote understandings among preservice teachers for each grade-level band (i.e., Pre-K/Primary, Elementary/Intermediate, Middle/High School). The researchers used conceptualizations of teacher knowledge as a theoretical lens to better understand reported preparation practices. Data analysis revealed three themes: Teacher Educator Pedagogy, Course Content, Student and Program Expectations. Researchers posit that teacher educators do not evenly focus on all components of literacy and contend …