Digital Commons Network^™

An Adaptive "Natural Law" Fuzzy Controller, Sandeep D. Sequeira

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fuzzy control has met with a tremendous interest in applications over the past few years. Despite its application potential, a broader industrial exploitation of fuzzy control has been hindered by the lack of standard design methods for fuzzy control systems. Fuzzy controllers have had to be designed on a case-by-case basis employing heuristics and reflecting the designer's limited insight into the control object's behavior. A number of fuzzy theorists have investigated the fuzzy system theoretic problems and results reported in the literature have been encouraging.

This thesis research has explored the notion that fuzzy control, despite being a rule-based control …

Asymmetric Adsorbate And Substrate Interactions In Physisorbed Systems: N2 On Graphite And Dipolar Molecules On Ionic Substrates, Teresa Ellen Burns

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Asymmetries in physisorbed systems give rise to interesting phases and phase transitions in two-dimensional (2D) monolayer and multilayer systems. The effects of asymmetric adsorbate and substrate interactions in monolayers of dipolar molecules on ionic substrates and N₂ on graphite are studied.

In the case of dipolar molecules on ionic substrates, 2D dielectric phase transitions using a modified Blume-Emery-Griffiths (BEG) model are determined theoretically. A dipole adsorbed vertically above a metal ion lattice site, and pointing up (down), is assigned a spin S=+1 (S=-1). An empty lattice site is assigned a spin S=0. Analytic solutions for both ferroelectrically and antiferroelectrically …

The Tectonic Evolution Of The Panther Creek Half-Graben In East-Central Idaho, Brian F. Hammond

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An integrated field, petrographic, structural, and geophysical analysis of the Panther Creek half-graben (PCHG), in east-central Idaho, was undertaken to determine its tectonic origin. Two competing theories as to the origin of the PCHG exist. One suggests that it formed as part of the TransChallis fault system (TCFS), a system of northeast-trending normal faults, eruptive centers, and graben that formed in Middle Eocene time. The graben of this system are bounded by northeast-striking normal faults, and show evidence of syn-tectonic deposition of basin-filling volcanic strata. The other theory suggests that the PCHG may have evolved as a result of a …

Density And Feeding Habits Of Elk And Deer In Relation To Livestock Disturbance, Kenneth Clegg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Elk (Cervus elaphus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) density and foraging behavior were monitored in conjunction with disturbance by livestock (cattle and sheep) from 1991 to 1993 at Deseret Land and Livestock property near Woodruff, Utah. Elk and deer densities declined by as much as 92% in response to introduction of livestock, while associated areas where livestock were absent did not show this response. Biting rates and bite sizes were estimated and used to determine instantaneous intake rate. These measures were similar between pastures with cattle present or absent in 1992 but differed in 1993 for …

A Monte Carlo Simulation Of Coulomb Collisions And Wave-Particle Interactions In Space Plasma At High Latitudes, Imad Ahmad Barghouthi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Four studies were considered to simulate the ion behavior in the auroral region and the polar wind.

In study I, a Monte Carlo simulation was used to investigate the behavior of O⁺ ions that are E x B-drifting through a background of neutral O, with the effect of O⁺(Coulomb) self-collisions included. Wide ranges of the ion-to-neutral density ratio n_i / n_n and electrostatic field E were considered in order to investigate the change of ion behavior with respect to the solar cycle and altitude. For low altitudes and/or solar minimum (n_i / …

Competence And Acceptance Of Children With Developmental Disabilities: An Examination Of Self-Concept, Cindy S. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship of the self-concepts of a sample of 248 children with developmental disabilities with demographic variables and measures of child functioning and family situational variables. In addition, responses on a measure of self-concept were compared with those of a normative sample provided by Harter. Results indicated that, using this measure and these populations, there were no differences in the self-concept of children with disabilities and those without disabilities. Canonical correlation analysis indicated that children's cognitive achievement and independent functioning skills were moderately related to their self-concepts, but demographic variables and family …

Evaluation Of Flood Routing Techniques For Incremental Damage Assessment, Enan Fakhri Jayyousi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Incremental damage assessment is a tool used to assess the justification for expensive modifications of inadequate dams. The input data to incremental damage assessment are the output from the breach analysis and flood routing. For this reason, flood routing should be conducted carefully. Distorted results from the flood routing technique or unstable modeling of the problem will distort the results of an incremental damage assessment, because an error in the estimated incremental stage will cause a certain error in the estimated incremental damages.

The objectives of this study were (1) to perform a comprehensive survey of the available dam break …

Agribusiness Management In Utah Dairies, Rick L. Hirschi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis outlines the theoretical factors impacting dairy profitability. The theoretical portion includes: a general review of production and profit maximization theory, a review of related studies, and an outline of the variables impacting dairy profitability.

An empirical study follows using data gathered from three applied technology centers in Utah in conjunction with dairy herd improvement production records for the farms where these data were available. The empirical section includes a synopsis of the methods and procedures used to collect and analyze the data. Regression analysis was used to determine the significant production and financial factors influencing returns per cow; …

Magnitude Of Displacement And Styles Of Deformation On The Paris And Laketown Thrust Faults, Northern Utah, Richard D. Kendrick

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Surface geology is combined with abundant industry seismic-reflection and drill­-hole data in the central Bear River Range and Bear Lake Plateau to depict the forms and interactions of the Paris-Woodruff-Willard, Laketown-Meade-Home Canyon, and Crawford thrust faults. Displacement on the Paris thrust diminished to the south, and died out in splays where displacement was transferred to the Willard thrust. West of Woodruff, Utah, splays of the Laketown thrust deformed a complex footwall imbricate of the Willard thrust. To the east, a major northeast-striking Crawford thrust splay exhibits a change in slip vectors from east to southeast. Reorientation of these slip vectors …

Hydrogeology And Hydrochemistry Of The East-Central Portion Of The Salt Lake Valley, Utah, As Applied To Wellhead Protection In A Confined To Semiconfined Aquifer, Jeff W. Gadt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Safe Drinking Water Act includes provisions for state wellhead protection programs which address wellhead protection areas. In Utah, these areas are called drinking water source protection (DWSP) zones. Zones Two and Three are delineated according to analytical or numerical techniques, which are based on hydrogeological and time-of-travel data, as well as recharge information, accumulated through the use of hydrogeologic and hydrochemical techniques. The primary conclusions of this research are:

1. A fence diagram and site hydrostratigraphic diagram show that the hydrogeology is more complex than previously has been thought. The principal aquifer at the target well site comprises a sequence …

A Study Of Magnetic Activity Effects On The Thermospheric Winds In The Low Latitude Ionosphere, Ricardo Cruz Davila

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the effects of magnetic activity on the low latitude F-region thermospheric winds. The F-region (120-1600 km) is a partially ionized medium where O⁺ and O are the major ion and neutral species, respectively. The thermospheric winds at these altitudes are driven primarily by pressure gradient forces resulting from the solar heating during the day and cooling at night. For this study, we use measured Fabry-Perot Interferometer (FPD winds at Arequipa (16.5°S, 71.5°W) and measured FPI and Incoherent Scatter Radar (ISR) winds at Arecibo (18.6°N, 66.8°W).

Previous wind studies at Arequipa and …

A Comparative Study Of The Effect Of Paper-And-Pencil Versus Computer Administration Of An Achievement Test, Perry Sailor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The study examined whether, under comparable testing conditions, second- and fourth-grade students who took a computer-administered (CA) achievement test in mathematics achieved the same mean score as comparable students who took the same test by paper and pencil (PP).

For number correct, the CA standardized mean difference effect size was - 0.28, which was larger than the expected effect size of zero, although not statistically significant at .05. It was noted that CA subjects completed the test more quickly, on the average, than PP subjects (CA effect size for time to completion = - 0.79). When time to completion was …

Factor Analytic Study Of Spatial Abilities In Second-Grade, English-Speaking Navajo And Non-Navajo Children, Laurie Sullivan-Sakaeda

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted to continue the investigation of apparent differences in cognitive abilities between Navajo Indian children and non-Navajo children. Subjects were 248 second-grade students, ranging from 7 to 9 years old. The Navajo sample lived in the Shiprock, New Mexico, area of the Navajo Indian Reservation, and the non-Navajo sample lived on the east side of Salt Lake City, Utah. Data were collected using six tests designed to measure spatial abilities in primary grade children. Results indicated that the non-Navajo children scored significantly higher on two individual tests and on the total test score under timed conditions, with …

Statistical Properties And Problems In Modeling The Bolivian Foreign Exchange Market, Gover Barja

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Bolivian foreign exchange market is explained in terms of the official and parallel exchange rates. The data covers the post hyper inflationary period from 1986 to 1992. The distribution of the rate of depreciation of the official and parallel exchange rates is long tailed and strongly departs from normality due to the existence of outliers. A market interactions model of the autoregressive kind is estimated using robust regression. This procedure produces M-parameter estimates using iteratively reweighted least squares. The robust method handles well the outlier problem and at the same time it reveals the true nature of the statistical …

A Response Surface Study Of Extruded Corn Starch/Skim Milk Powder Blends, Sachin Singh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Skim milk was ultrafiltered to three lactose/protein ratios and spray dried. The skim milk powder was extruded with pearled corn starch at different moisture contents, protein contents, lactose/protein ratios, and feed rates (control variables). Response surface methodology and a central composite in cube experimental design were used. This design required 30 experimental runs with 16 factorial points, 8 axial points, and 6 center points for replication. The physical and functional properties evaluated were expansion ratio, product temperature, bulk density, color, shear stress, viscosity, and water absorption index (response variables). Scanning electron microscopy was done to evaluate the microstructural attributes of …

Effects Of Whey Protein Concentrate, Phosphate, And Sodium Hydroxide On Texture And Acceptability Of Turkey And Beef Rolls, Igor V. Moiseev

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Processed turkey rolls were prepared with 1 or 3% whey protein concentrates WPC-50 (pH=5.80), WPC-60 (pH=4.53) and WPC-75 (pH=6.85} containing 50, 60 and 75% protein along with controls (phosphate and no phosphate). Control rolls made with 0.5% phosphate had the highest bind strength, and sensory evaluation scores. Only WPC-75 (1%) was acceptable as a binding agent and flavor enhancer. WPC-60 reduced pink discoloration of rolls, but flavor, bind and cohesiveness scores were unacceptably low. WPC-50 was not an effective binding agent. In general, rolls made with 3% WPC had lower scores for intensity of turkey flavor.

Bind strength and sensory …

The Contribution Of Meats To Energy And Essential Nutrient Intakes Of Women In The United States, C. Dian Martin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study used the 1987-88 USDA Nationwide Food Consumption Survey to investigate the contribution meat products make to intakes of nutrients at risk of inadequate or excessive consumption by women. The study is unique in that meat nutrients were extracted from mixed dishes, providing a more accurate picture of consumption. Cluster analysis was used to classify nonpregnant, nonlactating women 19 years and older based on their consumption patterns of total meat and individual meats (beef, poultry, processed meats, pork and seafoods) as percent of caloric intake.

Total fat and SFA intakes exceeded National Research Council (NRC) goals regardless of meat …

The Pharmacodynamics And Toxicodynamics Of Inotropic Drugs In Calves With Natural And Artificial Hearts, Scott D. Everett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Inotropic support for the failing myocardium as the therapy for congestive heart failure (CHF) is intended to achieve an increase in cardiac output via positive responses in myocardial contractility and vasodilation. A novel approach to differentiate these two responses is the use of an animal with an implanted total artificial heart (TAH). Three inotropic drugs, dobutamine, enoximone, and pimobendan, were tested in eight animals with their natural heart intact and five animals implanted with a TAH. Baseline values of the TAH and natural heart (NH) were compared to determine their hemodynamic similarities. Each of the three drugs was given randomly …

Incorporating Vegetative Diversity Measures In Forest-Level Planning: A Case Study On The Utah State University School Forest, David N. Holland

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Three indices of forest stand structural and compositional diversity were incorporated into a linear programming, timber-harvest scheduling model to examine the tradeoffs between managing stands for timber production and biodiversity objectives. While harvest-level objectives were fairly compatible with the maintenance of biodiversity, present net worth maximization resulted in substantial reductions in all three measures of biodiversity.

Use Of Multispectral Aerial Videography For Jurisdictional Delineation Of Wetland Areas, James A. Shoemaker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Multispectral aerial videography was used to reproduce the jurisdictional delineation of wetland area of approximately 50 hectares in Davis County, Utah Imagery from the system consisted of three-band composite with wavelengths covering 550 nm (±10 nm), 650 nm (±10 nm), and 850 nm (±10 nm). The site was overflown at three different flight dates during the 1992 growing season (June 2, July 22, October 1). Imagery resolution varied from 0.56 m to 0.81 m. Mosaiced images were analyzed with a Supervised clustering/maximum likelihood classifier, ISODATA clustering/Euclidan classifier, statistical clustering/maximum likelihood classifier, and fuzzy c-means clustering. Overall accuracies for wetland/upland designations …

The Response Of Five Tropical Plant Species To Natural Solar Ultraviolet-B Radiation, Peter S. Searles

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Tropical regions currently receive the highest global levels of solar ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B, 280-320 nm) even without ozone depletion. Thus, the influence of natural, present-day UV-B irradiance in the tropics was examined for five tropical species, including three native rainforest tree species and two economically important species. Solar UV-B radiation conditions were obtained vi using either a UV-B excluding plastic film or a near-ambient UV-B transmitting film in a small clearing on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama (9 ° N). Significant differences were often exhibited as increased foliar UV-B absorbing compounds, increased leaf mass per area, and reduced leaf blade …

Dungpat Microenvironmental Effects On Germination And Establishment Of Crested Wheatgrass, Ghulam Akbar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Complementary greenhouse and field studies investigated the effects of ambient environmental conditions on cattle dungpat moisture, temperature, nutrient concentration, and crust formation dynamics, which in turn influence seed germination and seedling establishment in dungpats. 'Hycrest' crested wheatgrass [Agropyron desertorum (Fisch. ex Link) X A. cristatum (L.) Gaert.] was used as a representative revegetation species.

After collecting feces from Holstein steers that had been fed crested wheatgrass seeds, uniform dungpats were prepared and placed on two soil types (loam and coarse sand) in containers under three watering treatments (field capacity, 1/2 field capacity, and no water) in the greenhouse. Dungpat …

Sedimentology And Foraminiferal Taphonomy In Siliciclastic Environments: The Northern Gulf Of California, Mexico, Liping Zhang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Holocene sediments from intertidal and shallow subtidal zones in Bahia la Choya, Mexico exhibit significant differences based on their mineralogical content, constituent composition, textural parameters, and foraminiferal assemblages. The intertidal sediments are characterized by low calcium carbonate content, being dominated by quartz, and are moderately well sorted and coarse skewed with a fine mean grain size {M_z = 2.73 phi}. Total numbers {living and dead} of benthonic Foraminifera per ml of sediment are relatively low (12/ml) in the intertidal zones. In contrast, the subtidal sediments are characterized by high calcium carbonate content, being dominated by molluscan shell fragments, and …

An Inverse Approach To A Probability Model For Fractured Networks, Stacy G. Vail

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A common problem in science and engineering applications deals with finding information about a system where only limited information is known. One example of this problem is determining the geometry of an aquifer or oil reservoir based on well tests taken at the site. The Conditional Coding Method attacks this type of problem. This method uses the Simulated Annealing Algorithm in conjunction with a probability model which generates possible solutions based on a uniform random number list. The Annealing Algorithm generates a conditional probability distribution on all possible solutions generated by the probability model, conditioned on the observed data set. …

Effect Of Iron Binding On The Ability Of Crocidolite To Cause Dna Single-Strand Breaks, Jeanne Ann Hardy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fibrous carcinogens, such as crocidolite asbestos, are known to catalyze many of the same reactions as iron, namely O₂ consumption, generation of reduced oxygen species, and damage to DNA, such as strand breaks, and modifications of bases. Upon inhalation, fibers are also known to become coated with an iron-rich material. The mechanism by which this iron is bound to fibers in the lung is not known, and the effect of this additional iron on the reactivity of the fibers is also not well understood. The studies described here were undertaken to elucidate the abilities of crocidolite asbestos, in its …

Modeling Of Natural Settling In A Trapezoidal Sedimentation Basin, Kent S. Wilkerson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objectives of this thesis are to 1) review current theory relative to numerically modeling a trapezoidal settling basin, 2) develop a more appropriate model to better predict settling and deposition within a basin, and 3) confirm the accuracy of the model. The TSB (Trapezoidal Settling Basin) model was developed as part of this thesis. The Bureau of Reclamation's SETSIZE model performs similar analysis, but the TSB model makes significant improvements. The TSB model improves numerical modeling of a trapezoidal basin by allowing both sediment and sieve particle data, complex basin geometries with a multidimensional sediment deposition, and improved hydrograph …

Gregarious Behavior In Large Mammals: Modeling, Methodology, And Application, Thomas L. Morton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Gregarious behavior of ungulates was considered in four ways. The first concern was W. D. Hamilton's hypothesis that a simple movement rule could reduce predation risk and encourage grouping behavior. Simulations showed little effect of this nearest-neighbor rule on predation risk. Similar, more complicated rules reduced predation risk by up to two thirds.

The second focus was on the accuracy of ground observers in diagramming individual animal locations in small herds of elk. A remotely controlled airplane was used to photograph the herds from above. A substantial distance discrepancy was found between "true" and "observed" animal locations. This discrepancy increased …

Future Water Demand In Cache Valley, Utah, Chris C. Saunders

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present investigation examined the current water demand characteristics and the future water demand of Cache Valley, Utah for the time period of 1990-2010. The demand attributable to agriculture and seven nonagricultural economics sectors was determined and forecasts were performed based on those demand values.

Linear regression, extrapolation, and alternative futures forecasting methods were applied and the various results compared against each other. Three different scenarios were calculated for residential demand to represent different sources and composition of demand information. It was determined that consideration of water demand data excluding Logan City provided the best statistical description of water demand. …

Properties Of Rigid Foams For Application As Materials For Light Weight Structures In Space, Huichen Chi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The mechanical and mesoscopic structural properties of rigid cellular foam made of polystyrene have been investigated. Basic properties (e.g., density, total and available porosity, permeability, surface area, isotropicity, and cell size and cell wall thickness distributions) were measured. In most cases, alternative methods were used to determine which methods were most appropriate for the type of samples we studied. Standard compression and deflection mechanical tests were performed. The stress-strain curves and related mechanical properties were found to agree with standard cellular structural models of open-cell foams.

We investigated the effects of small (~ < 5 atm) hydrostatic stress applied to foam samples for long periods of time (~one day). We observed large changes (up to a factor of three) in the stress-strain diagrams, Young's modulus, elastic collapse stress, ultimate strength, resilience, Poisson's ratio, permeability, penetration depth, and available porosity. Effects were most pronounced above 2 atm applied pressure differential, but were observed even for 1 atm loads. Short-term exposure to loads up to ten times as large did not cause comparable changes. These changes were interpreted as resulting from observed changes in the mesoscopic structure occurring near the surface using standard cellular structural models.

This work was originally motivated by applications …

Postbreeding Ecology Of Adult Male Northern Pintails And Cinnamon Teal Near Great Salt Lake, Utah, Robert R. Cox Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I studied nutrient reserves, digestive organs, molt intensity, diets, and seasonal changes in food resources available to postbreeding adult male Northern Pintails (Anas acuta) and Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera) in marshes near Great Salt Lake, Utah. Total lipid and protein reserves of Northern Pintails were lower during the flightless period than before or after. For Cinnamon Teal, total protein was lowest during the flightless period, and total lipid showed a similar trend. Total mineral did not differ among plumage classes in either species. Use of nutrient reserves in these species may be an endogenous rhythm in …