Digital Commons Network^™

The Inevitable Fusion: A Mixed-Methods Sociological Approach To Comprehensive Kodiak Bear Viewing Management, Jacqueline M. Keating

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge is home to one of the highest concentrations of brown bears in Alaska. As the public demand for bear viewing opportunities continues to increase, managers are faced with the challenge of accommodating this new kind of visitor use on a refuge that was traditionally managed for the sustainable hunting of bears. To inform the public use management planning process, the Kodiak Refuge allocated funding to support social science research that objectively assessed the current nature of bear viewing opportunities and the factors that influence the quality of those opportunities. Ecologist Aldo Leopold claimed that the …

Foreign Fighter Recruitment Messaging And The ‘Islamic State’, Jacob M. Nelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The so called ‘Islamic State,’ an Islamic extremist organization which currently controls large swaths of territory in the Middle East, has attracted foreign fighters to its insurgency in tens of thousands. Until just recently, foreign fighters were not well researched or understood separately from local fighters. David Malet (2013) argues that insurgencies recruit foreign fighters by persuading them to defend a ‘common group’ against a threatening enemy. This ‘defensive mobilization,’ he believed, was critical to recruiting foreign fighters throughout history. After preliminary analysis, the Islamic State presented evidence contrary to this theory, and it seemed dubious that they would use …

Effect Of Foliage And Root Carbon Quantity, Quality, And Fluxes On Soil Organic Carbon Stabilization In Montane Aspen And Conifer Stands In Utah, Antra Boča

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Soil organic carbon (SOC) positively affects many soil properties (e.g., fertility and water holding capacity), and the amount of carbon (C) in soil exceeds the amount in the atmosphere by about three times. Forest soils store as much C as is found in trees. Tree species differ in their effect on SOC pools. Quaking aspen forests in the Western US often store more stable SOC in the mineral soil than nearby conifers. During the last decades a decline in aspen cover, often followed by conifer encroachment, has been documented. A shift from aspen to conifer overstories may negatively affect the …

Comparison Of Beef Flavor Compounds From Steaks And Ground Patties Of Three Usda Quality Grades And Varied Degrees Of Doneness, Kourtney Gardner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this study was to determine how quality grade (Prime, Low Choice, and Standard) and degree of doneness (4, 25, 55, 60, 71, and 77°C) influence the development of the flavor-producing compounds in beef whole muscle and ground patties. The content and type of many compounds influence beef flavor, including: proximate composition, pH, neutral and polar lipid fatty acids, free and total amino acids, reducing sugars, and volatile compounds, in addition to cooking duration. The important proximate components include fat, moisture, and protein content. Amino acids and reducing sugars alone contribute to the five basic tastes, but they …

Spatial And Temporal Study Of Heat Transport Of Hydrothermal Features In Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Ruba A. M. Mohamed

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Monitoring thermal activity in Yellowstone National Park is required by the United States Congress to maintain the safety of the visitors and park service personnel and to protect the integrity of the park. This dissertation is part of a study initiated in the early 2000s to monitor the thermal activity in the park with focus on Norris Geyser Basin, the hottest geyser basin in the park. The study is considered the first multiple-year study in the basin which took place between August 2008 and October 2013. In this study, at least one thermal infrared image was acquired every year using …

Object Recognition In Videos Utilizing Hierarchical And Temporal Objectness With Deep Neural Networks, Liang Peng

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As the growth of mobile devices and social networks has been faster than ever, online image and video content has become truly ubiquitous today. Understanding of these images and videos, called vision, is one of the most primary ways for human being to perceive the world. Computer vision, which refers to the study of enabling machines to see and understand the visual world, is fundamental in advancing Artificial Intelligence.

Object recognition, which is defined as the task of locating and recognizing object categories in images and videos, is a major research field in computer vision. Recent research in object recognition …

Effects Of Changing Environments On Survival Of A Widely Distributed Ungulate, S Andrew Sims

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wildlife species distributed over large areas of land inhabiting varying environments are experiencing shifts in their home ranges due to human expansion and climate change. As these species home ranges shifts out of familiar, critical habitat they are forced to interact with novel environments, which in turn affects the species population demographics. In order to manage and conserve these species accordingly, specifically in a time of large-scale change, it is imperative that we add to current understandings of how they interact with various environments. Furthermore, frequently generating short-term predictions of demographic drivers will allow for conservation and management insight that …

Increasing Student Engagement And Knowledge Retention In An Entry-Level General Nutrition Course With Technology And Innovative Use Of A Graduate-Level Teaching Assistant, Minhee Kang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Blended-design courses integrate both face-to-face and online learning. This thesis discusses the use of three teaching innovations and their effect on student engagement and course satisfaction in a blended-design nutrition course. The three teaching innovations include 1) a web-based learning platform, called Connect (published by McGraw-Hill Education) 2) other easily accessible technological tools (such as Google+), and 3) higher-level use of a graduate-level teaching assistant.

Another form of web-based learning platform, Mastering, published by Pearson Education, was use previously in the course. However, students, especially those earning the highest grades in the course, did not see value in completing these …

Ultra-Wideband Transceiver With Error Correction For Cortical Interfaces In Nanometercmos Process, Yi Luo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The wireless data transmission in the application of cortical interfaces requires a minimum of 27.0 Mbps for high-resolution visual functions within a very tight power constraint (< 10 mW). Most of the published designs for this application deploy narrow band techniques and have the throughput from several Mbps to tens of Mbps up to date. This work proposed a wideband solution with the use of Error-correction codes that can realize a throughput more than 100 Mbps within a power of 10 mW.

Understanding The Mechanisms Of Insecticide Resistance In Phlebotomus Papatasi And Lutzoymia Longipalpis Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), David Denlinger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Sand flies, like mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and lice, transmit pathogens that cause disease in humans. Leishmaniasis, caused by pathogens transmitted by sand flies, kills tens of thousands of people every year. Insecticides have been used to control sand flies, but there is evidence of insecticide resistance in populations of sand flies around the world. The goal of this dissertation was to develop tools to maintain sand flies in the laboratory, develop the ability to identify insecticide-resistant populations of sand flies, and to investigate the genetic mechanisms of how sand flies become resistant to insecticides. I began by comparing live animal …

The Effects Of Previous Concussions On The Physiological Complexity Of Motor Output During A Continuous Isometric Visual-Motor Tracking Task, Adam C. Raikes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The long-term ramifications of single and multiple concussions are unclear, though they exist in the forefront of present social and scientific inquiry. While suicides linked to concussion histories by prominent current and former athletes sensationalize the issue, questions abound as to the safe and timely return to work, sport, and active military duty following a concussive event in addition to the link between concussion history and neurological disorders. As such, identifying lingering or persistent alterations in function following concussion is essential.

Nonlinear characteristics of visual-motor task performance, including the complexity of the performance, provide an avenue for quantifying visual processing, …

Effects Of Computer Simulation And Animation (Csa) On Students’ Problem Solving In Engineering Dynamics: What And How, Seyed Mohammad Tajvidi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Previous studies have shown that in many fields, computer simulation and animation (CSA) improve students’ learning and problem solving. However, despite the massive body of research on the role of computers in education, little research has been conducted to qualitatively examine how they affect the learning of engineering students. The purpose of this study was to explore how learning and problem solving were affected by computer modules and what similarities and differences existed between computer representations and paper-based examples.

An analysis of collected data, observations of participants’ problem-solving activities, and interviews revealed that computers can enhance students’ analytical thinking, organizing, …

A Comparison Of Park Access With Park Need For Children: Case Study In Cache County, Utah, Shuolei Chen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Childhood obesity is one of the nation’s most serious health problems. There are growing efforts to prevent childhood obesity by improving opportunities for physical activity in their communities. The outdoor settings of the built environment, such as parks and open spaces, can offer children opportunities for physical activities, experience with nature, and social interaction, which contribute to children’s physical and psychological health. However, children’s physical access to parks is often inequitable. Simultaneously, the quality of parks also varies. These disparities caused the inequitable distribution of health-promoting features of built environment among disadvantaged groups who may not have access to other …

Wearable Computing: Accelerometer-Based Human Activity Classification Using Decision Tree, Chong Li

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In this study, we designed a system that recognizes a person’s physical activity by analyzing data read from a device that he or she wears. In order to reduce the system’s demands on the device’s computational capacity and memory space, we designed a series of strategies such as making accurate analysis based on only a small amount of data in the memory, extracting only the most useful features from the data, cutting unnecessary branches of the classification system, etc. We also implemented a strategy to correct certain types of misclassifications, in order to improve the performance of the system.

We …

Effects Of Gestational Dietary Intake On Calf Growth And Early Feedlot Performance Of Offspring, Jose M. Gardner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fetal programming is a relatively new and quickly growing field of research in the livestock industry. The concept of fetal programming is simply defined as the effects a change in maternal nutritional intake has on offspring, whether it be a genetic or physical change. The intention of this study was to specifically look at the effects of nutrient restriction of cows during the second trimester of gestation on the growth and performance of the resulting calves.

In this study, thirty-two cows of predominantly angus influence from the Utah state university herd were chosen, naturally bred to a pure bred angus …

Chemical Bonding In Novel 0-, 1-, 2-, And 3-Dimensional Chemical Species, Ivan A. Popov

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

While the trial and error approach is still being a dominant pathway for synthesis of various compounds in chemistry, computation-driven approaches have recently been shown to be a very efficient way towards the rational design of new materials with tailored properties. In principle, theoretical design of materials may not only significantly reduce the costs associated with the experiment, but may also result in the prediction of novel compounds possessing completely unexpected geometries. These compounds can serve as long-lived catalysts, powerful batteries, efficient solar cells, or reliable energy storage materials. Since geometric structure of any system is related to its electronic …

Symbolic Versus Sustainable: Tracking The Apparel Industry’S Response To Crisis Over Time, Sadell R. Crabb

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In this study I investigate the impact different director types have on firm commitments to voluntary labor regulation. Using an author-constructed dataset of eight focal firm’s boards of directors for a nineteen-year period, I examine the impacts of gender and racial diversity, as well as the inclusion of independent interlocking board members on firm commitments to voluntary labor regulation following a legitimacy crisis in the 1990s. Framing firms’ responses within a chronological approach to institutional theory, I test how trends for these three director types varied for firms most and least committed to voluntary labor regulation, as well as for …

How High School Records And Act Scores Predict College Graduation, Lianqun Sun

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The primary purpose of this study is to assess the degree to which ACT scores and high school records predict success in college. I used large public university admission and graduation panel data in order to address the following questions: (1) Are high school records (class rank, high school grade point average (GPA), and Advanced Placement (AP) test credits) better predictors of college success than ACT scores, and which is the best predictor among high school records and ACT scores? (2) Is there any heterogeneity in these effects across race, sex and residency (state or non-state students)?

By answering these …

Evaluation Of Flux Correction On Three-Dimensional Strand Grids With An Overset Cartesian Grid, Dalon G. Work

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Simulations of fluid flows over complex geometries are typically solved using a solution technique known as the overset meshing method. The geometry is meshed using grid types appropriate to the local geometry in a patchwork fashion, rather than meshing the entire geometry with one type of mesh. The strand-Cartesian approach is a simplification of this process. While high-order accurate solvers on Cartesian grids are simple to implement, strand grids are usually restricted to second-order accuracy, resulting in poor quality solutions. Flux correction is a high-order accurate solution method, specifically designed for use on strand grids. The flux correction method on …

Precision Drought Stress In Orchards: Rootstock Evaluation, Trunk Hydration And Canopy Temperature, Lance V. Stott

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Tree fruit crops are of high value, but use a lot of water. Precision irrigation has the potential to save water while simultaneously improving crop quality. The timing and method of precision water stress in various tree fruit crops has been widely studied. However, in order to successfully employ precision irrigation methods in orchards, an accurate measurement of tree water status is required. Currently, stem water potential is the preferred indicator. However, this measurement is tedious and cannot be automated. Because measurements must be taken near solar noon (approximately 1:30 PM MDT in the summer in northern Utah), the number …

A Parallel Genetic Algorithm For Optimizing Multicellular Models Applied To Biofilm Wrinkling, Christopher Douglas Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Multiscale computational models integrating sub-cellular, cellular, and multicellular levels can be powerful tools that help researchers replicate, understand, and predict multicellular biological phenomena. To leverage their potential, these models need correct parameter values, which specify cellular physiology and affect multicellular outcomes. This work presents a robust parameter optimization method, utilizing a parallel and distributed genetic-algorithm software package. A genetic algorithm was chosen because of its superiority in fitting complex functions for which mathematical techniques are less suited. Searching for optimal parameters proceeds by comparing the multicellular behavior of a simulated system to that of a real biological system on the …

Examining Effects Of Technology Level And Reinforcer Arrangements On Preference And Efficacy, Audrey N. Hoffman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Applied behavior analysts use reinforcement to enact socially meaningful outcomes with the individuals that they work with. Identifying the ways in which reinforcers function optimally is an important consideration for behavioral research. Preference for reinforcers, and how effective reinforcers are, may change depending upon several factors. Two important factors to consider are how reinforcers are arranged and the technology level of the reinforcers used. Reinforcers can be delivered following every response in a distributed manner or they can be delivered following several responses in an accumulated manner. Additionally, leisure items used as reinforcers can be classified according to technology level, …

The Role Of The Fatty Acid Signaling Pathway In Dietary-Induced Obesity, Melissa N. Nelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In recent years, dietary fat has been shown to be capable of activing taste receptor cells in the tongue. Fatty acids (FAs), which act as the chemical cue and are found in dietary fat, activate a cellular signaling pathway that results in a unique signal being sent to the brain that is then interpreted as the taste of fat. One important element in this pathway is the ion channel TrpM5. It is responsible for depolarizing the taste cells that are activated by fatty acids; depolarization is an essential step in cellular response, making TrpM5 essential in the functioning of the …

Role Of Dispersion And Functionalization On Mechanical Properties In Carbon Nanotube - Polymer Composite, Medisetti Sai Praveen Kumar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Polymer composites with carbon nanotubes (CNT) as filler material is an exciting research area, having a huge potential of offering better mechanical properties. One of the main challenges of using CNT as a filler material is mixing of CNTs within the matrix material, as this mixing determines the strength of the composite. Some of the methods being researched for improving mixing are chemical, mechanical and surfactants. Many studies have suggested high frequency mechanical stirring as the preferred way for better mixing, but challenges exist with finding the proper solvent which can be used for stirring and at the same time …

Analysis Of Beef Steaks Of Varying Usda Quality Grades And Thicknesses Cooked On Low And High Grill Surface Temperatures, Tonirae Gardner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this project was to analyze the thermodynamics (thermal conductivity and diffusivity as well as protein denaturation) and physical properties (percent expressible moisture, cooking loss, change in steak thickness, shear force, texture profile analysis and rheological behavior) of beef steaks of different USDA quality grades (Upper 2/3 Choice and Select), thicknesses (thick and thin), and grill surface temperatures (high and low) cooked to the same internal degree of doneness to determine if a specific set of cooking parameters would create a profound difference in the eating characteristics, described by the tenderness and juiciness of cooked beef strip steaks. …

A Survey And Performance Analysis Of Orbit Propagators For Leo, Geo, And Highly Elliptical Orbits, Simon P. Shuster

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

On-orbit targeting, guidance, and navigation relies on state vector propagation algorithms that must strike a balance between accuracy and computational efficiency. To better understand this balance, the relative position accuracy and computational requirements of numerical and analytical propagation methods are analyzed for a variety of orbits. For numerical propagation, several differential equation formulations (Cowell, Encke-time, Encke-beta, and Equinoctial Elements) are compared over a range of integration step sizes for a given set of perturbations and numerical integration methods. This comparison is repeated for two numerical integrators: a Runge-Kutta 4th order and a NLZD4/4. For analytical propagation, SGP4, which relies on …

Misconduct-Related Discharge From Active Duty Military Service: An Examination Of Precipitating Factors And Post-Deployment Health Outcomes, Emily Brignone

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

U.S. military service members who are discharged from service for misconduct are at high risk for mental health and substance use disorders, homelessness, mortality, and incarceration. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the pre- and post-discharge experiences and characteristics of this highly vulnerable population in order to inform improved prevention and intervention strategies.

Administrative data from the Department of Defense and Veterans Health Administration for veterans of recent conflicts were used to conduct 3 related retrospective cohort studies. These included (1) an evaluation of the demographic and military service characteristics and service-connected disabilities associated with discharge for misconduct; …

Cia Or Ceo: Who Will Be Responsible For Helping Protect National Security?, Jamie Elizabeth Crandal

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As technology advances businesses are being called upon to take an active role in helping protect national security. A variety of different companies and industries within the private sector, which are at the forefront of encryption and hacking technologies, have the option to aid or subvert the intelligence community by sharing breakthrough technology in the interest of helping ensure domestic tranquility.

Many industries and companies within the private sector argue that while they are not actively trying to subvert efforts to protect national security it is not in their best interest, or the best interest of their customers, to hand …

The Influence Of Aspen Chemistry And The Nutritional Context On Aspen Herbivory, Kristen Y. Heroy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Consumption of aspen by herbivores is one major force causing aspen decline in North America. In this Dissertation, I aimed to determine why herbivores prefer browsing on certain aspen stands over others, and why they prefer consuming aspen that contains chemical defenses over understory forages like grasses, forbs, and shrubs. I explored the influence of nutrients and chemical defenses within aspen on aspen intake and preference by lambs in pen experiments. I also explored drivers of aspen preference on the landscape by looking at relationships between aspen herbivory, indicators of aspen health, amount of nutrients available in the understory, and …

First-Row Transition Metal Sulfides And Phosphides As Competent Electrocatalysts For Water Splitting, Nan Jiang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Solar energy is a carbon-neutral and renewable energy resource. Its nature of intermittence and unequal distribution requires efficient solar energy capture, conversion, and storage. Solar-driven water splitting to produce hydrogen and oxygen is widely considered as an appealing approach to meet this goal, in which hydrogen acts as a green energy carrier. Water splitting consists of two redox half reactions: hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Both reactions involve the transfer of multiple electrons and protons and possess high energy barriers to proceed at appreciable rates, hence catalysts are needed.

A large number of HER and OER …