Digital Commons Network^™

Unveiling The Interactions Between The Antibiotic Resistome And Microplastics Influenced By Trace Elements And Ppcps In Wastewater Treatment Plants, Tahira Tasneem Rahman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Antibiotic resistance is a growing global concern, and wastewater treatment plants play a critical role in controlling its spread. These facilities process water containing microplastics (small plastic particles), trace elements like copper and zinc, and chemicals from everyday products like pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Together, these pollutants may contribute to the survival and spread of bacteria containing antibiotic resistance genes, but their combined effects are not fully understood. This study investigated how these pollutants behave and interact in wastewater treatment plants using two approaches: direct monitoring of real treatment plants and controlled lab experiments using synthetic wastewater. Results showed …

Assessing The Human Health Impacts Of Nutrient-Dense Diets: Clinical Trials On Regenerative Agriculture And Protein Source, Jennifer Jensen-Cloward

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Increasing consumer demand for sustainable, animal-friendly food options has sparked discussion about farming production practices. As more people prioritize their food choices, questions have circulated about how farming practices might impact not just the environment, but also human health. Regenerative agriculture is a farming method that has gained popularity for its potential to improve both food quality and environmental outcomes. It focuses on restoring ecosystem function, ultimately impacting the resulting nutrients in food products, and includes foods like grass-fed meat and organic produce. However, it is still unclear whether these practices make a difference in human health. This dissertation informs …

“Are There Any British Soldiers In Tobruk?” National Identity During The Siege Of Tobruk, May To November 1941, Stewart Golightly Weight

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Throughout this thesis, I examine what it meant to be British during the 1941 Siege of Tobruk. This is important as it reveals previous assumptions about the Second World War’s British Army, including its religious practices and regional distinctions, were more diverse and influential than previously assumed. To do this, I analyze previously overlooked sources concerning religion, morality, and regional identities to demonstrate that Second World War Britishness was not monolithic.

Golden Eagle Predation Of Greater Sage-Grouse On Diamond Mountain Plateau, Victoria E. Thorpe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Predation and the perceived risk of predation can have major impacts on prey populations. Golden Eagles are considered one of the main predators of adult greater sage-grouse. Sage-grouse populations have been declining for decades throughout the West and wildlife managers are concerned about the impacts of golden eagles on sage-grouse. We investigated the nonconsumptive effects of golden eagles on sage-grouse by conducting observational surveys for golden eagles, sage-grouse, and other predators at sage-grouse lek sites near Vernal, Utah during the sage-grouse breeding season from 2022–2024. Additionally, we examined the prevalence of sage-grouse in golden eagle diet using DNA metabarcoding of …

Social Media Mining For Extracting The Experience Of Neurodivergent Individuals On Twitter (X) And Reddit, Kartik Thakkar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Neurodiversity refers to the natural neurological variations in the human brain such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourette syndrome and other neurological disorders. it’s estimated that around 15% to 20% of the world’s population is neurodivergent. This means a significant portion of people experience neurological differences in how they think, learn, and interact with the world.

Social Media has become an important space for neurodivergent individuals to share their experiences, build communities, and seek support. This thesis explores how the online venues like X (Twitter) and Reddit offer themselves as digital spaces where …

Enhancing Grid Integration Of High-Power Loads Through Modular Unfolding-Based Power Conversion With Decentralized Control, Sanat R. Poddar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is a critical step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating a cleaner, more sustainable transportation sector. However, many drivers — particularly those operating larger vehicles such as trucks and buses — face significant challenges, including limited driving range and lengthy charging times. High-power, fast-charging stations, which can rapidly replenish EV batteries, are therefore essential for mitigating these barriers and making electric transportation practical across all vehicle classes.

Despite the promise of electric vehicles, deploying high-power fast-charging stations presents significant challenges. They require large amounts of electricity, making them expensive to install, operate, and …

Discourses Embedded In The Adams V. School Board Of St. Johns County Decision And The Rights Of Transgender Students In Schools, Douglas Larson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study was critical analysis of the language of the court case Adams v. School Board of St. Johns County (2022). This case was brough by a student against the School District challenging a policy that prevented him, a transgender boy, from using the boys’ restroom. The analysis was not intended to determine the merits of the case or the correctness of the legal reasoning. Rather, the analysis was performed on the text of the case—the language used by the judges—to learn about the beliefs, attitudes, and values of the judges.

The reason this analysis is important is because judges …

Faculty Senate Minutes December 1, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Call to Order
• University Business
• Faculty Senate Business
• Information
• Report
• Honors Program Annual Report
• USUSA Annual Report
• Faculty Evaluation Committee
• Academic Freedom and Tenure
• Old Business
• New Business
• Adjourn - 4:30 pm

Implications Of The Attenuated Allee Effect On Population Dynamics, Dana Strong

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The Allee effect is an ecological phenomenon characterized by a per capita growth rate that increases as the population size increases in the context of low population density. The Allee effect can lead to rapid extinction events. Consequently, ecologists can attempt to control the strength of the Allee effect to help increase the population (in the case of endangered species) or decrease the population (in the case of parasites or pests).

This research aimed to study not the strength of the Allee effect, but the intensity of the Allee effect, or how rapidly cooperation between individuals causes the per capita …

A Critical Policy Analysis Of Dual Language Education Policies On The Equity And Opportunity Of Participation And Access For Multilingual Learners, Justin A. Andersen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Dual Language Immersion programs help students become fluent in two languages while achieving academic success. Originally designed to support students who speak languages other than English at home, these programs have grown rapidly across Utah and the U.S. However, they increasingly serve white, English-speaking families seeking enrichment opportunities, while multilingual students who could benefit most remain underrepresented.

This study examined recruitment and admissions policies in two Utah school districts’ dual language programs. By comparing policy documents, analyzing enrollment data, and interviewing district staff, school leaders, and parents, the research revealed significant implementation differences despite identical statewide program requirements.

One district …

Lagomorphs, Ungulates, And Predation: Exploring Interactions And Quantifying The Effect Of Lagomorph Herbivory In Rangelands, Shantell Marie Garrett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Rangelands are expansive ecosystems that make up more than 30% of the total surface land area in the contiguous United States. In the west, they are typically categorized as shrublands, grasslands or deserts with low precipitation. The vegetation communities consist largely of grasses and forbs and are thus widely used for livestock grazing. Despite their barren appearance, rangelands are diverse ecosystems that are home to a wide breadth of species.

The Henry Mountains, located in south central Utah, is one example of this system type. With their inspiring red-rock mesas and towering plateaus, this public land, managed by the Bureau …

A Software Framework For Translating Onnx Models Onto The Lace-C3a Hardware, Shawn Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Modern computers are powerful, but they are not always efficient enough for small, low power systems like those used on satellites and scientific instruments. To solve this problem, engineers often turn to FPGAs—reconfigurable computer chips that can be customized to run specific tasks much faster and with far less energy than ordinary processors. However, finding the best possible design for an FPGA program is extremely difficult because there are millions of ways a design could be built, and only a small fraction of them actually perform well.

This thesis presents SNOW, a new framework that helps automate the search for …

Faculty Senate Agenda December 1, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes - November 3, 2025
• 3:05 University Business
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business
• 3:30 Information
• EPC Report - November 6, 2025
• 3:45 Report
• Honors Program Annual Report
• USUSA Annual Report
• Faculty Evaluation Committee
• Academic Freedom and Tenure
• 4:10 Old Business
• 4:15 New Business
• Faculty Forum
• Adjourn: 4:30 pm

Intergenerational Transfers In A Tractable Overlapping-Generations Setting, James Feigenbaum, T. Scott Findley, Sepideh Raei

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

Motivated by the Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax (GSTT) in the United States, we examine how varying estate tax rates by the heir’s age affects welfare. Methodologically, we introduce a parsimonious constant elasticity of substitution (CES) bequest utility that is markedly more tractable than the altruistic specifications commonly used in the literature, delivering closed-form optimal rules and transparent parameterization. Using this new framework, we provide a proof of concept showing how transfers from older to younger generations can enhance equilibrium welfare in a dynamically efficient economy à la Samuelson (1975). We embed the tractable bequest utility in a two-period overlapping-generations model with …

Deaf Parents’ Infant-Directed Touch With Their Hearing And Deaf Babies: Intuitive, Cultural, Or In Need Of Instruction?, Brenda C. Seal Ph.D.

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

No abstract provided.

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda November 17, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes October 20, 2025
• 3:05 University Business
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business
• 3:35 Information
• EPC Report - November 6, 2025
• 3:40 Report
• Honors Program Annual Report
• USUSA Annual Report
• Faculty Evaluation Committee
• 4:05 Old Business
• 4:10 New Business
• Adjourn: 4:30 pm

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Minutes November 17, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes - October 17, 2025
• University Business
• Faculty Senate Business
• Information
• EPC Report - November 6, 2025
• Report
• Honors Program Annual Report
• USUSA Annual Report
• Faculty Evaluation Committee
• Old Business
• New Business
• Adjourn: 4:46 pm

Shade As An Agro-Technique To Improve Gas Exchange, Productivity, Bioactive Potential, And Antioxidant Activity Of Fruits Of Hylocereus Costaricensis, Milena Maria Tomaz De Oliveira, Noemi Tel-Zur, Francisca Gislene Albano-Machado, Daniela Melo Penha, Monique Mourão Pinho, Marlos Bezerra, Maria Raquel Alcântara De Miranda, Carlos Farley Herbster Moura, Ricardo Elesbão Alves, William Natale, Márcio Cleber De Medeiros Corrêa

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Hylocereus species are promising for enhancing fruit productivity in arid regions, but high solar radiation often leads to yield loss. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term impact of different shading levels on the physiological performance, productivity, and post-harvest quality of Hylocereus costaricensis under semi-arid conditions. Plants were grown in the field under two shade levels, i.e., 35 and 50% and their performances were compared to plants under control, i.e., 0% of shade or full sunlight. The nighttime CO₂ assimilation and productivity increased significantly by 310.5 and 114.6% and 34.3 and 50.14% for plants under 35 and 50% of …

Goals Reconsidered: From Brute Prelusory States Of Affairs To The Lusory Complexity Of Sport, Francisco Javier López Frías

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

In this paper, I examine Bernard Suits’ conceptualization of goals in his influential definition of gameplay, focusing on how his account falls short of capturing the complexity of sporting practices. Suits famously describes games as voluntary attempts to overcome unnecessary obstacles in achieving an identifiable state of affairs. By referring to this state of affairs as the prelusory goal of games, he frames gameplay as structured teleologically around this goal, converting it into the most fundamental element of his notion of gameplay. Although elegant and very intuitive, this conception of games raises tensions when applied to the complex, multilayered activities …

Assessing Riparian Evapotranspiration Dynamics In A Water Conflict Region In Nebraska, Usa, Ivo Z. Gonçalves, Burdette Barker, Christopher M. U. Neale, Derrel L. Martin, Sammy Z. Akasheh

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The escalating pressure on water resources in agricultural regions has become a catalyst for water conflicts. The adoption of innovative approaches to estimate actual evapotranspiration (ETa) offers potential solutions to mitigate conflicts related to water usage. This research presents the application of a remote sensing-based methodology for estimating actual evapotranspiration (ETa) based on a two-source energy balance model (TSEB) for riparian vegetation in Nebraska, US using the Spatial EvapoTranspiration Modeling Interface (SETMI). Estimated results through SETMI and field data using the eddy covariance system (EC) considering the period 2008–2013 were used to validate the energy balance components and ETa. Modeled …

Faculty Senate Agenda October 6, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes - September 8, 2025
• 3:05 University Business
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business
• 3:35 Information
• EPC Report - September 4, 2025
• 3:45 Report
• EPC Annual Report
• 4:10 Old Business
• 4:15 New Business
• Adjourn: 4:30 pm

An Online Scientific Twitter World: Social Network Analysis Of #Sciencetwitter, #Scicomm, And #Academictwitter, Man Zhang, Lisa Lundgren, Ha Nguyen

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Student Research

Understanding who makes up online affinity spaces as well as how information flows within those spaces is important as more people access news, research topics, collaborate with others, and entertain themselves. During a month-long period in summer 2021, we collected 100,000 tweets from 53,311 Twitter users who used the hashtags #ScienceTwitter, #SciComm, and #AcademicTwitter. We then classified users and determined the type of social network they formed. Scientists, the public, and educators formed this affinity space. They built connections by initiating activities and interacting with others, which created a Community Clusters social network structure, characterized by several medium-sized groups of …

Faculty Senate Minutes September 8, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes - April 28, 2025
• University Business
• Faculty Senate Business
• Information
• EPC Report - April 3, 2025
• Report
• Empowering Teaching Excellence (ETE) Annual Report
• Center for Instructional Design and Innovation Annual Report
• Old Business
• New Business
• Adjourn - 4:30 pm

The Next Frontier In The Study Of Noncovalent Bonding: Transition Metals, Steve Scheiner

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

As work continues unabated in the study of noncovalent bonding, particularly σ-hole bonds, new challenges have emerged as the participation of transition metals in interactions of this sort is fast becoming appreciated. While there are certain similarities with the halogen, chalcogen, etc, bonds, in which the main group elements participate, there are certain unique properties of these metal atoms that must be analyzed before a complete understanding can be attained. As one example, these atoms tend to act simultaneously as both electron donors and acceptors, a synergistic action that amplifies the overall bond strength. Ideas are expressed in this paper …

A Ka Band High Data Rate Transmitter For Leo Satellites Design And System Simulation, Jean-Hervé Corre, Ronan Foubert, Thomas Dehaene, Hugo Hartmann, Yann Prigent, Bertrand Lechevalier

Small Satellite Conference

This paper addresses the design of a high-throughput Ka-band transmitter for LEO satellites. This article particularly focuses on RF and microwave subsystems and system simulation.

The purpose of this transmitter (named KaLLISTO) is to operate the downlink from a LEO satellite to a ground station. High data rates are required to meet the expressed demand from satellite operators to enable much more data volume downlink. The equipment is the latest state-of-the-art qualified COTS based design. This design is perfectly adapted to New-Space programs, where cost effectiveness, performance and reliability are key factors. The allocated band goes from 25.5 to 27GHz …

Augmenting Attitude Knowledge For Optical Communication Terminals On Cubesats By Kalman Filter Based Estimation, Elisa Garbagnati, René Rüddenklau, Chrisopher Schmidt

Small Satellite Conference

Given the growing demand for high data rate transmission on small satellites like CubeSats, free-space optical communication terminals have recently attracted an increasing interest thanks to their capability of ensuring high data rates, compact designs and low power requirements. Yet, the performances of the acquisition and pointing processes crucially depend on their attitude knowledge information. This information is currently available only if an optical link has already been established. Nevertheless, it is likewise important to accurately know the attitude during the link acquisition phase to shorten the search time until the opposing target is found. This aspect is equally relevant …

Optical Inter-Satellite Link Demonstration On Cubesats - Update On The Cubeisl-Iod Mission, Benjamin Rödiger, Jorge Rosano Nonay, Arvind Kumar Balan, Alberto Rodríguez Pérez-Silva, José Franciso Briz Valero, Cristóbal Nieto Peroy

Small Satellite Conference

Free-space optical communication has become a mature technology to extend and replace classical radio channels for data transmission from satellites to the Earth. The advantages of high data throughputs, resilience against electromagnetic disturbances and its robustness against jamming spoofing and eavesdropping makes laser communication attractive for governmental, defense authorities and commercial users. To enable global connectivity and interoperability beyond the line of sight, inter-satellite links are required and therefore terminals with high data rates are necessary to avoid communication bottlenecks. Size weight and power limitations on spacecraft demand highly efficient and miniaturized payloads, especially for use cases on smallest satellites. …

Ibis Advanced Technology For Smallsats, Johan Leijtens, Frank Stelwagen

Small Satellite Conference

For many years, ESA has been involved in attempts to develop a commercially attractive radiation hardened true digital Sunsensor. Although both Galileo Avionica (IT) (now Leonardo) and TNO (NL) developed a sensor based on standard active pixel sensors (APS) none of these products became commercially successful. Although TNO started the development of a single chip true digital Sunsensor in 2004 and a prototype was successfully tested in 2011,^{[1] [2]} the product was neither radiation hardened nor optimized for volume production. Development of this prototype into a real sensor was however never completed.

Although both a digital output and albedo …

The Atlantic Constellation Very High Resolution, A Small Satellite Approach Achieving High-Performance Optical Imagery, Henrique Candeias, Carlos Roldán, Carmen Velarde, Filipe Almeida, Francisco Miguel Ferreira, Gonçalo Aguiar, Gonçalo Correia, Henrique Santos, João Pedro Leitão, John Meyer, Lídia Nogueira, Liliana Baptista, Luis Gomes, Mónica Patrícia Moitas, Pedro Cruz, Pedro Prates, Ricardo Grosso Ferreira, Vasco Amorim, Vítor Botelho, Pedro Coelho, Patrick Silva, João Andrade, Nuno Catarino, André Oliveira

Small Satellite Conference

The Atlantic Constellation (AC) was launched politically by Portugal and Spain in 2021 as an initiative to develop an Earth Observation (EO) satellite constellation capable of delivering multispectral optical imagery at high revisit. The Constellation has evolved over time and is an anchor programme of the Portuguese National Space Strategy. It entails optical VHR satellites as well as SAR observation capabilities. Sharing the same ground and data infrastructure, the constellation will provide coverages at < 1m and images below 50 cm resolution with daily access time based on tasked imaging acquisitions. This constellation will constitute a strategic autonomy asset capable of serving a broad field of sectors, such as Defence, Maritime, Agriculture, Security and Disaster monitoring. As the leader of the VHR space segment component of the AC, and its main industrial partner, N3O faces diverse technical and programmatic challenges. The major challenge arises from the growing commercial demand for rapid access to orbit, which shortens the development and integration timelines imposed by customers. This demand leads to wider adoption for off-the-shelf components. The VHR satellites are a product of this philosophy. One of the major drivers is tailoring the mission requirements to accommodate what standard VHR payloads and small satellite platforms in the market can offer, and what their interfaces can support. Another challenge is maintaining a low orbit altitude, due to limited low thrust system and power capabilities that keep cost and complexity manageable, while ensuring the target 50 cm Ground Sampling Distance (GSD) and fulfilling the updated space debris regulation to decay within 5 years. Moreover, these commercial space products do not always follow standard processes and specifications (e.g. ECSS, MIL), making co-engineering effort and heritage knowledge key for satellite design and verification activities. Opportunities for rideshare and small satellite launch service providers are growing, together with the diverse market on Ground Stations services. Lastly, the development of dedicated in-house facilities and planning for the assembly, integration and test (AIT) phase of the VHR satellites, built from scratch, and based on space industry best practices and standards, all combine to make this one of the most ambitious space programmes ever carried out in Portugal.

Laser Crosslink Experiment: Post-Mission Review, Sean Stanko, Dan Frey, Jose Ruvalcaba, Sean Burk, Damian Klaren, Dmitriy Obukhov, Barry Tidmore, Jason Bousquet, David Wayne, Nathan Barnwell, Galen Cauble, Kevin Book, Ben Laxton, Grant Webster, Stan Volchenok, David Sadowski, David Palmer

Small Satellite Conference

The Laser Crosslink Experiment (LaCE) was a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) microsatellite mission that flew between March 4, 2024, and May 18, 2025. LaCE was a two-CubeSat, multi-payload mission developed by Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (NIWC). Its major payloads included the CACI Skylight laser communication terminal, the ELROI optical beacon, the Vulcan CSR payload radio, and a newly developed NIWC Tracking, Telemetry, and Command (TT&C) ground operations center. Additionally, LaCE led to the development of the Stratospheric Optical Link Demonstration (SOLD) high-altitude balloon experiment, a companion mission which demonstrated the Skylight terminal in the stratosphere as a risk reduction …