Digital Commons Network^™

Information And Hardness Quantification Of Graphs: A Computational Study, Brent Dutson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

New techniques to measure the information contained within a network of interconnected nodes (such as links between computers in the Internet) have recently been developed. This work studies the relationship between the computer time needed to solve a common network problem and the information contained within the given network.

Landscape Evolution Of The Needles Fault Zone, Utah, Investigated Through Chronostratigraphic And Terrain Analyses, Faye L. Geiger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Arcing eastward from the deep gorge of Cataract Canyon on the Colorado River is a series of aligned valleys (graben) and ridges (horst). This unusual landscape has formed as subsurface salt deforms toward the river and dissolves away, causing the overlying rocks to fault, slide, and subside. Geologists have long been interested in this actively evolving area they call the Needles fault zone, because understanding its mechanics and origin may shed light on how faults work in general and similar, yet inaccessible places like offshore rift zones or even the surface of the Moon. Despite this interest, the timing and …

Identification Of The Constraints And Barriers To The Adoption Of Distributed Design Education, Benjamin H. George

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The design field of landscape architecture has yet to witness the broad adoption of online education, despite multiple studies that have demonstrated the efficacy of online education in design fields, or distributed design education (DDE), in teaching design. While previous research has focused on the structural, institutional, social, and pedagogical aspects of DDE, little work has focused specifically on barriers to the adoption of DDE from a faculty perspective. This dissertation reports the results of a meta-synthesis of the current literature on DDE and a national Delphi study. A list of the identified constraints of DDE was created through the …

A Sociocultural Analysis Of Latino High School Students' Funds Of Knowledge And Implications For Culturally Responsive Engineering Education, Joel Alejandro Mejia

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Previous studies have suggested that, when funds of knowledge are incorporated into science and mathematics curricula, students are more engaged and often develop richer understandings of scientific concepts. While there has been a growing body of research addressing how teachers may integrate students’ linguistic, social, and cultural practices with science and mathematics instruction, very little research has been conducted on how the same can be accomplished with Latino and Latina students in engineering. The purpose of this study was to address this gap in the literature by investigating how fourteen Latino and Latina high school adolescents used their funds of …

In Situ Stress And Geology From The Mh-2 Borehole, Mountain Home, Idaho: Implications For Geothermal Exploration From Fractures, Rock Properties, And Geomechanics, James Andrew Kessler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Geothermal energy is being explored as a supplement to traditional fossil fuel resources to meet growing energy demand and reduce carbon emissions. Geothermal energy plants harvest heat stored in the Earth’s subsurface by bringing high temperature fluids to the surface and generating steam to produce electricity. Development of geothermal resources is often inhibited by large upfront risk and expense. Successful mitigation of those costs and risks begins with efficient characterization of the resource before development. A typically successful geothermal reservoir consists of a fractured reservoir that conducts hydrothermal fluids and a cap rock seal to limit convective heat loss through …

Specific Learning Disabilities: Beliefs About The Construct, Identification Methods, And Job Satisfaction Among Practicing School Psychologists, Joseph M. Cottrell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) account for approximately 40% of all students receiving special education services. Debate among professionals regarding the causes of SLDs and the most appropriate methods used to identify SLDs persists. This debate may be related to the increase in prevalence of SLDs since the implementation of special education law in 1975. There are three prominent theories regarding the cause of SLDs: (a) environmental theory, (b) biological theory, and (c) interactional theory. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) allows school districts to implement the following SLD identification procedures: (a) the IQ-Achievement discrepancy method, (b) response-to-intervention …

Expressive Writing And Marital Satisfaction: A Writing Sample Analysis, Rachel B. Williams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The mode of expression used by individuals, in written or spoken word, offers insight into one’s cognitive and emotional processes. Over the past 25 years expressive writing has become an interest to researchers, therapists, and the public. Writing provides a symbolic way of expressing thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Analytical programs provide a way to study the structure and content of written communication. There is little research that includes marital relationships and expressive writing and no known research that includes marital relationships and writing analyses. In relationships, meanings are created to help make sense of situations and interactions. Symbols also include …

An Investigation Of The Interaction Of Beliefs And Behaviors In The Classroom, Jennelyn Talbot

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This project emerged from previous research on beliefs, influences on behaviors, and beliefs interaction with reform. Previous research stated connections existed between teacher beliefs and teacher behaviors but criticized the use of broad, general constructs and traditional methodologies. This study challenged the portrayal of beliefs as isolated and static and attempted to understand connections between beliefs and behaviors. Utilizing qualitative methodologies, this study investigated the following research questions.

1. What insight can be gained on the nature of beliefs through analysis of consistent and inconsistent behaviors?

2. How do teacher’s beliefs interact with behaviors?

This research adopted a methodology that …

Multiplicity Results Of Periodic Solutions For Two Classes Of Nonlinear Problems, Kazuya Hata

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

We investigate the existences and qualitative properties of periodic solutions of the following two classes of nonlinear differential equations:

I) (Special) Relativistic Pendulum Equations (RPEs);

II) (2-coupled) Gross-Pitaevskii Equations (GPEs).

The pendulum equation describes the motion of a pendulum. According to Special Relativity, which was published by A. Einstein in 1905, causality is more fundamental than constant time-space, thus time will flow slower and space will distort to keep causality if the speed of motion is near the speed of light. In such high speed situations, the pendulum equation needs to be revised due to Special Relativity. The revised equation …

E3: Emotions, Engagement, And Educational Digital Games, Ani Aghababyan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The use of educational digital games as a method of instruction for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics has increased in the past decade. While these games provide successfully implemented interactive and fun interfaces, they are not designed to respond or remedy students’ negative affect towards the game dynamics or their educational content. Therefore, this exploratory study investigated the frequent patterns of student emotional and behavioral response to educational digital games.

To unveil the sequential occurrence of these affective states, students were assigned to play the game for nine class sessions. During these sessions, their affective and behavioral response was recorded …

Common Themes Associated With Teacher-Identified Obstacles To Implementing Change In Mathematics Instruction Attributable To Participation In Mathematics Professional Development, Ronald A. Twitchell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study had three purposes: first, explore any common phenomenon of secondary mathematics teachers’ experience in secondary mathematics professional development (MPD); second, determine if there were positive changes in teacher attitudes after completing secondary MPD; and finally, if a positive change in teacher attitude was identified, describe the shared experiences in secondary MPD to in a way that cannot be revealed through ordinary observations. It was the intent of this study to identify positive changes in teacher attitudes not to measure their magnitude. This study implemented a mixed methods design using descriptive statistics and categorical analysis on data from pre- …

Use Of Semi-Analytical Solutions To Examine Parameter Sensitivity And The Role Of Spatially Variable Stream Hydraulics In Transient Storage Modeling, Noah M. Schmadel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Anticipating how stream water quality will respond to change, such as increased pollution or water diversions, requires knowledge of the main mechanisms controlling water and chemical constituent movement and a reasonable representation of those mechanisms. By deriving mathematical models to represent a stream system and collecting supporting field-based measurements, water quality response can be predicted. However, because each stream is unique and the movement of water and constituents is spatially and temporally complex, assessing whether the stream is appropriately represented and whether predictions are trustworthy is still a challenge within the scientific and management communities.

Building on decades of stream …

A Survey Of Utah's Public Secondary Education Science Teachers To Determine Their Feelings Of Preparedness To Teach Engineering Design, Roland Tyler Ames

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Education is always changing and science education is no exception, with many influential publications passing through science education over the years. The latest wave in science standards is called the Next Generation Science Standards. The Next Generation Science Standards are anticipated to have a significant effect on state science standards around the entire country. One thing about these new standards is very different from all previous science standards—they include the principle of engineering design in them.

Asking science teachers to teach engineering design is asking them to teach a principle for which their teaching licensure would not have formally prepared …

An Investigation Of The Change In Motivation Of Fifth-Grade Students On Writing Activities After Being Taught Computer Programming Using Similar Teaching Strategies, Raymond E. Boyles

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The implementation of collaboration and the use of graphic organizers in the teaching of programming and writing in the elementary grades have proven to be effective instructional strategies. There is evidence that shows the students who are motivated to program and perform well in this content area are not necessarily representative of the students who are motivated to write. Since the organizational skills required in the two content areas are similar, there may be an opportunity to motivate students who engage in computer programming to become more motivated in writing. As a result, the purpose of this study was to …

Ceramic Technology, Women, And Settlement Patterns In Late Archaic Southwestern Idaho, Jessica A. Dougherty

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research employs a sample of archaeological sites from three ecological zones to investigate the mobility strategies of hunter-gatherer groups in Late Archaic southwestern Idaho. The sample sites are organized into site types based on an independent evaluation of site components and existing site records. Ceramic assemblages at each site were analyzed to quantify the investment in ceramic technology, as a proxy for mobility. These measures were then compared to expectations generated from three proposed mobility patterns for hunter-gatherer groups in southwestern Idaho. Some of the predictions were met and these data allude to an archaeological record with a multitude …

Stochastic Tests On Live Cattle Steer Basis Composite Forecasts, Elliott James Dennis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Since the seminal papers of Bates and Granger in 1969, a superfluous amount of information has been published on combining singular forecasts. Materialized evidence has habitually demonstrated that combining the forecasts will produce the best model. Moreover, while it is possible that a best singular model could outperform a composite model, using multiple models provides the advantage of risk diversification. It has also been shown to produce a lower forecasting error. The question to whether to combine has been replaced with what amount of emphasis should be placed on each forecast.

Researchers are aspired to derive optimal weights that would …

Are Experimentally Derived Estimates Of Thermal Tolerance Useful In Interpreting Species Distribution Models, Iva Sokolovska

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Species distribution models are frequently used in ecology to predict the spatial and temporal occurrence of organisms. Direct interpretation of these models assumes that the relationships between the organisms and their environment are manifestations of causal mechanisms. However, in general, the mechanisms producing these associations have not been experimentally validated, which questions our confidence in their interpretation and application. Temperature is one of the most important factors influencing the fitness and distribution of aquatic organisms, and studying the thermal physiology of aquatic invertebrates could provide a useful approach for validating predictions of the species distribution models.

Experimental thermal tolerance studies, …

Barriers To Curricular Change In General Education Mathematics At A Large Public Institution, Marcus Jorgensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This qualitative study looked for barriers to curricular change in general education mathematics at a large public university (LPU) in the Western United States. The literature showed that a number of national organizations dealing in math education have recommended alternatives to the traditional algebra-intensive curriculum. LPU still relies predominantly on traditional College Algebra as its quantitative literacy (QL) course. With such an algebra-heavy emphasis, students may be missing more relevant and useful mathematics. In addition, the College Algebra course has a low success rate, which becomes a barrier to student retention and graduation. Interviews were conducted with 14 participants who …

On The Complexity Of Collecting Items With A Maximal Sliding Agent, Pedro J. Tejada

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

We study the computational complexity of collecting items inside a grid map with obstacles, using an agent that always slides to the maximal extend, until it is stopped by an obstacle. An agent could be, for example, a robot or a vehicle, while obstacles could be walls or other immovable objects, and items could be packages that need to be picked up.

This problem has very natural applications in robotics. The restricted type of motion of the agent naturally models movement on a frictionless surface, and movement of a robot with limited sensing capabilities and thus limited localization. For example, …

Improving Reuse And Maintainability Of Communication Software With Conversation-Aware Aspects, Ali Raza

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Inter-process communications (IPC) are ubiquitous in today’s software systems, yet they are rarely treated as first-class programming concepts. Implementing crosscutting concerns for message-based IPC are difficult, even using aspect-oriented programming languages (AOPL) such as AspectJ. Many of these challenges are because the context of a communication-related crosscutting concern is often a conversation consisting of message sends and receives. Hence, developers typically have to implement communication protocols manually using primitive operations, such as connect, send, receive, and close. This dissertation describes an extension to AspectJ, called CommJ, with which developers can implement communication-related concerns in cohesive and loosely coupled aspects. It …

The Design And Testing Of A Three-Degree-Of-Freedom Small Satellite Simulator Using A Linear Controller With Feedback Linearization And Trajectory Generation, Marina A. Samuels

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A small satellite simulator with attitude determination and control was designed and implemented in hardware. The simulator consists of inertial sensors for attitude determination and a pyramidal four-wheel momentum exchange system as the control actuators. A linearized PV controller with trajectory generation and feedback linearization was implemented, with the focus on controlling yaw. The simulator was tested on a spherical air bearing platform to allow three-degree-of-freedom operation. The simulator software was developed to read measurements from the sensors, apply the control algorithm, and send commands to the actuators. A data processing routine was developed. Electromechanical testing for the system as …

System Identification Of A Small Low-Cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Using Flight Data From Low-Cost Sensors, Nathan V. Hoffer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Remote sensing has usually been done with satellites and manned aircraft. While they can be useful, satellites and manned aircraft have issues in how quickly you can get data, process it, and go back to get more data. Small low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) overcome these issues. To collect precise data a precise model of the UAV is needed to develop the autopilot, make sure the aircraft flies well, and does not break. One method of making a model is system identification (system ID). In this thesis system ID of a small low-cost fixed-wing T-tail UAV is done. The equations …

Hamiltonicity, Pancyclicity, And Cycle Extendability In Graphs, Deborah C. Arangno

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A significant portion of Graph Theory is devoted to determining the characteristics which guarantee the existence of long cycles.

Long cycles have roles in applications to civil engineering, chemistry, and communications, among many others, but the problem, in and of itself, of determining whether a graph has a cycle of some fixed and typically large length is one of the most important problems of both pure Mathematics and Computer Science.

A cycle containing all the vertices of the graph is called a Hamiltonian cycle, and a graph which possesses such a cycle is said to be Hamiltonian. If …

Causes And Countermeasures For Nappe Oscillation: An Experimental Approach, Aaron Allan Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Weirs are commonly used as spillways to release flows from a reservoir. The freefalling jet on the downstream side of the weir is called the nappe. Under certain hydraulic conditions, determined mainly by the size, design, and construction of the weir, nappe oscillation, otherwise known as nappe vibration, can occur. Characteristics of this dynamic behavior include excessive acoustic energy manifested as sound pressure waves and lowfrequency noise accompanied by horizontal waves or banding on the nappe. Mitigation of this process may be required, especially if the weir operates in close proximity to occupied structures. Instability of water jets moving through …

Midwife, Young Maiden, And Physician: Image And Authority In Karen Cushman's Female Healers, Angela C. Turnbow

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study focuses on the characterization of Cushman’s healers in her three medieval novels The Midwife’s Apprentice; Catherine, Called Birdy; and Matilda Bone. I specifically look at the physical descriptions, medical practices, and the healer’s role within the community as an accepted medical authority. Cushman’s portrayals illuminate the different locations and situations in which women practiced medicine during the Middle Ages, thus she presents more historically accurate portrayals of female healers.

The significance of this project is that Cushman challenges the stereotype of the isolated and disfigured old crone that has been, perhaps inadvertently, perpetuated by authors and …

The Agricultural Economics Of Fremont Irrigation: A Case Study From South-Central Utah, Chimalis R. Kuehn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Recent identification of a Fremont irrigation feature in southern Utah provides an example from which to study costs and benefits of intensive agricultural investment by the Fremont. Studying irrigation investment informs our understanding of cultural process behind subsistence decisions, as well as of cultural complexity among the temporally and geographically diverse Fremont farmers.

Fieldwork, funded in part by Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities (URCO) Grants, included experimental canal digging with wooden stick tools and excavation of a subsurface canal feature. This study uses prehistoric canal dimensions and labor rate data to compare relative efficiencies of irrigated and dry-farmed maize. Analysis …

Nutrition And Genes Associated With Orofacial Cleft Birth Defects In Utah, Huong Dieu Meeks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Orofacial clefts (OFCs) are facial malformations that happen during early pregnancy and have a complex and heterogeneous etiology, involving both genetic and environmental risk factors. This project examined the association between maternal nutrition, folate-related biomarkers, candidate genes involved in one-carbon metabolism (OCM), and OFCs in order to achieve more comprehensive knowledge of how nutrition and genetics influence OFC risk. All studies performed in this project used the data collected in the Utah Child and Family Health Study (UCFHS) and the Johns Hopkins International Cleft Consortium.

Neither maternal periconceptional multivitamin use nor healthy dietary pattern score alone was individually associated with …

Automated Reverse Engineering Of Malware To Develop Network Signatures To Match With Known Network Signatures, Dan Sinema

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Illicit software that seeks to steal user information, deny service, or cause general mayhem on computer networks is often discovered after the damage has been done. The ability to discover network behavior of software before a computer network is utilized would allow administrators to protect and preserve valuable resources. Static reverse engineering is the process of discovering in a offline environment how a software application is built and how it will behave. By automating static reverse engineering, software behavior can be discovered before it is executed on client devices. Fingerprints are then built from the discovered behavior which is matched …

Linking Montane Soil Moisture Measurements To Evapotranspiration Using Inverse Numerical Modeling, Ling Lv

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Evapotranspiration (ET) and soil moisture play important roles in annual water delivered from snowpack to reservoirs, lakes and streams. Indeed, ET and soil moisture are key factors dictating the performance of the regional climate models in the intermountain west (IMW) of the USA. Water resources management and climate modeling require accurate prediction of ET and areal soil moisture for reliable estimates of ongoing and future water needs. This research has examined ways to estimate ET from four common vegetation types in the IMW (aspen, conifer, grass and sage) using local soil moisture measurements from an advanced instrumentation network located in …

Exploring Visitor Attitudes Toward The Proposed Greater Canyonlands National Monument: A Survey In Utah's Indian Creek Corridor, Chase C. Lamborn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In August of 2012, the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) sent a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to designate the Greater Canyonlands National Monument (GCNM). The proposed 1.4 million acre national monument would surround the already present 337,570 acre Canyonlands National Park, and would include public lands/waterways from five Utah counties. The OIA’s goal for the GCNM is to preserve the landscape for quality outdoor recreation by decreasing the amount of off-highway vehicle use and to eliminate the possibility of oil/gas drilling and mining. Given the proposal highlights outdoor recreation use benefits as the main catalyst for justification of …