Digital Commons Network^™

Microfabrication Of Electrochemical Analytical Devices For Detection Of Pathogen Species Dna And Toxic Metal Ions, Spencer Williams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Water quality is a crucial factor in determining the health of an environment, and in turn the health of all those living in the given environment. Early detection of potential hazards in source water used for drinking would help to avoid outbreaks of sickness and even death. Contaminants, found in contact and drinking water, having negative effects on human health may include pathogenic microorganisms, and metal ion pollutants such as lead or cadmium. Lead and cadmium were selected due to well-known electrochemical properties providing easy references for developing new detection devices. Current methods for detection of these contaminants are extremely …

Validation Of A Noninvasive Technique For The Assessment Of Physiological Stress In Coyotes (Canis Latrans), Erika T. Stevenson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Quantifying physiological stress may aid in a better understanding of how animals survive various environmental conditions. One noninvasive technique for assessing physiological stress in animals is to extract steroid hormones from fecal samples. This technique has the potential to aid in wildlife conservation by providing a better understanding of behavior and welfare for a variety of species. The objectives of the study were to (1) determine responses in plasma and fecal steroid hormone concentrations for coyotes (Canis latrans), (2) determine which steroid hormone (cortisol or corticosterone) was better for examining physiological stress responses for coyotes, and (3) determine …

Tropical Arithmetics And Dot Product Representations Of Graphs, Nicole Turner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In tropical algebras we substitute min or max for the typical addition and then substitute addition for multiplication. A dot product representation of a graph assigns each vertex of the graph a vector such that two edges are adjacent if and only if the dot product of their vectors is greater than some chosen threshold. The resultS of creating dot product representations of graphs using tropical algebras are examined. In particular we examine the tropical dot product dimensions of graphs and establish connections to threshold graphs and the threshold dimension of a graph.

Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis Of Whole Field Pennycress Biomass, Yonas Afewerki Kidane

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

To satisfy the energy demand of the ever-increasing world population as well as to prevent environmental pollution arising from the use of fossil fuels, an alternate source of energy has to be developed. Biomass has the potential to provide a renewable energy source that is inexpensive and environmentally friendly. Field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.), previously considered as a weed, has now been found to be an ideal source of bio-fuel production. The focus of this research was to produce upgraded bio-oil by a process known as catalytic fast pyrolysis. A characterization and a temperature degradation profile study helped to …

Computational Prediction And Rational Design Of Novel Clusters, Nanoparticles, And Solid State Materials, Alexander S. Ivanov

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The prediction of structure at the atomic level is one of the most fundamental challenges in materials science. Indeed, the structure is arguably the most important piece of information about a material, as it determines pretty much all properties of a material. Knowing the structure, one can analyze a large number of properties of a material, even before it is synthesized – the crucial importance of structure prediction for computational molecular design. This dissertation describes the technique of reliable theoretical predictions and presents the results on the successfully predicted unusual clusters, nanoparticles and solid state materials. The major part of …

Catalytic Pyrolysis Of Olive Mill Wastewater Sludge, Hamza Abdellaoui

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

From 2008 to 2013, an average of 2,821.4 kilotons/year of olive oil were produced around the world. The waste product of the olive mill industry consists of solid residue (pomace) and wastewater (OMW). Annually, around 30 million m³ of OMW are produced in the Mediterranean area, 700,000 m³ year⁻¹ in Tunisia alone. OMW is an aqueous effluent characterized by an offensive smell and high organic matter content, including high molecular weight phenolic compounds and long-chain fatty acids. These compounds are highly toxic to micro-organisms and plants, which makes the OMW a serious threat to the environment if …

The Underground Gang: Cyclist Group Identity As Expressed Through Folk Art, Folk Events, Narratives, And Community Spaces, Anna P. Christiansen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis is a study of the “underground” cycling community in Ogden, Utah. This thesis establishes a groundwork understanding of the nature of underground cycling culture, particularly in relation to identity. Using folkloric definitions of identity and subculture as my foundation, I conducted fieldwork with the Ogden cycling community to examine four different facets of cyclist activities: folk art, folk events, narratives, and the community’s use of space. Each of the four facets also illustrated the different levels of identity, shifting from individual levels, outward to the performance of identity as an individual and group within a larger local and …

Synthesis Of Fluorogenic Probes For Studying Biomass Degradation And Synthesis Of New Antifungal Aminoglycosides, Qian Zhang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For the first project, a library of fifteen commercially purchased and synthetic fluorogenic probes were employed for the investigation of biomass degradation using extract of white-rot fungi. These discoveries prove that it is possible to employ fungi for selective degradation or release of hemicelluloses from biomass. This work is supported by Sun Grant Western Regional Center/DOT "Bioprospecting for Enzymes to Break Lignin-Hemicellulose Bond" ($300,000,09/01/2011-08/31/2013)

The second project is focused on synthesizing new aminoglycoside analogs and exploring the potential to revive traditional antibacterial kanamycin as new type of antifungal agents. Although aminoglycosides antibiotics are mainly used as antibacterial agents, this project …

Using Network Models To Predict Steelhead Abundance, Middle Fork John Day, Or, Monica R. Blanchard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is important in the management of threatened and endangered species to have informed population estimates. Population estimates are used to gage whether or not recovery goals are being met. When assessing Pacific salmonids this assessment involves sampling a small subset of the population and then scaling up to estimate larger populations units. This is complicated by the fact that fish populations are not evenly distributed along river systems but respond to fluctuating physical and biological stream properties. We used rapid assessment survey methods and the River Styles classification to explore fish-habitat relationships. River Styles is a classification system that …

Factors Influencing Farmers' Utilization Of Auto-Guidance Technology In Northern Utah, Thomas A. Bleazard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Few studies have documented the use of auto-guidance technologies in the western United States. This study sought to discover farmers’ training preferences and what drives adoption of auto-guidance systems in northern Utah. A presentation of auto-guidance systems was made to crop school attendees. Afterwards an auto-guidance simulator was used to demonstrate to participants how these systems worked and let them engage in an experiential learning experience with laptops. A survey was administered to collect information on farmers’ training preferences and use of auto-guidance technologies. Results of the survey showed that farmers have a large interest in learning about auto-guidance technologies, …

Anaerobic Co-Digestion Of Algal Biomass And A Supplemental Carbon Source Material To Produce Methane, Yousef Soboh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The demand on alternative energy is rapidly increasing because the reserves of conventional fuel are decreasing and their impacts on the environment are increasing.
Developing renewable energy sources should receive utmost attention. The production of biofuels like methanol, biodiesel, and methane from various kinds of abundant biomass represents a very attractive energy source that can reduce the dependence on conventional fossil fuels energy.

Since algae contains high amounts of nitrogen and low carbon content, this research focused on anaerobic fermentation of algae to produce methane by blending algae with a supplemental carbon source material, sodium acetate. This was done to …

Interactive Computer Simulation And Animation Learning Modules: A Mixed-Method Study Of Their Effects On Students' Problem Solving In Particle Dynamics, Yongquing Guo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Engineering dynamics is a fundamental core course in many undergraduate engineering curricula. This course is widely regarded as one of the most difficult engineering courses for students to succeed in. A variety of instructional strategies, such as hands-on experimentation, multimedia games, and computer simulation and animation (CSA), have been developed to improve student learning. Among these instructional strategies, CSA has been receiving increasing attention and applications in the international engineering education community. CSA provides students with a visualization tool and a constructivist environment to better understand various engineering problems.

The goal of this dissertation research was to improve student learning …

The Role Of Diet, Erythrocyte Membrane Fatty Acid Composition, And Alzheimer's-Related Genes In Systemic Inflammation In The Cache County Memory Study, Rola Adnan Jalloun

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia in the elderly, accounting for 60 to 80% of all dementia cases. It affects 5.2 million Americans and 44 million worldwide. This project examines the association between dietary patterns, erythrocyte membrane fatty acids concentration, and AD-related genes in systemic inflammation as indicated by serum C-reactive protein (CRP). All studies performed in this project used the data collected in the Cache County Memory Study (CCMS).

Higher levels of accordance with the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and Mediterranean dietary (MED) patterns were associated with consistently lower levels of CRP in …

Salt And The Rough-Skinned Newt (Taricha Granulosa): Evolutionary Investigations Of Local Adaptation To An Anthropogenic And Natural Stressor, Gareth Rowland Hopkins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Amphibians are osmotically-challenged due to their highly permeable skin and egg membranes. As such, biologists have mostly ignored their occurrence in saline habitats. The goal of this dissertation was to investigate the ability of amphibians to adapt to inhabit these osmotically-stressful environments. As freshwater resources are increasingly salinized due to a combination of anthropogenic and natural stressors, including road-deicing salt application, coastal storm events, and sea-level rise, it is important to understand the abilities and constraints of sensitive organisms, like amphibians, to persist in these environments. I began by exploring what is known about amphibians inhabiting saline habitats around the …

The Mystical Union Of Infant Baptism: How Baptists Contributed To The Idea Of Race By Their Rejection Of Infant Baptism, Isaiah E. Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the first three centuries CE, the sacrament of baptism proved to be a universal tool which united people beyond age, race, or ethnicity as we understand it today. To put it simply, the theological meaning of baptism was reinforced by the sacrament of infant baptism. That is to say that the Christian faith was for all, irrespective of one’s race, age, or social-status. This openness to Christianity changed in the early modern period. In the seventeenth century the Baptists rejected infant baptism, for a more rational faith based on Enlightenment and Romantic assumptions. What the Baptists did not realize …

Annotation Tools For Multivariate Gene Set Testing Of Non-Model Organisms, Russell K. Banks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Microarray chip technology enables researchers to obtain measures of gene activity for essentially all genes in an organism. After grouping genes into biologically meaningful sets, researchers employ certain statistical tests to identify which gene sets (biological processes) show different levels of activity across different treatment groups. The idea is to identify which biological processes are significantly affected by a certain treatment/condition in a given organism.

Non-model organisms (such as sheep) are not widely studied so gene set membership information is not always readily accessible. This thesis work utilizes two microarray studies involving sheep to provide researchers with working examples of …

In Vitro, Non-Invasive Imaging And Detection Of Single Living Mammalian Cells Interacting With Bio-Nano-Interfaces, Qifei Li

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Study of bio-nano-interfaces of living mammalian cells will help the identification of cellular alterations (e.g. nucleic acids, amino acids, biomechanics, etc.) due to external stimuli, the design of biomaterials (e.g. nanoparticles, nanotubes) and the investigation on the interaction between cells and bio-nano-interfaces (e.g. cell differentiation on 3D nanostructured materials). The chemical, physical, and mechanical changes of mammalian cells interacting with biomaterials can be investigated by analytical techniques. In this dissertation, cellular responses and property changes are evaluated by non-invasive spectroscopic technique, Raman microscopy (RM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) combined with traditional biological methods. This dissertation includes the biophysical, biochemical …

Digital Soil Mapping Using Landscape Stratification For Arid Rangelands In The Eastern Great Basin, Central Utah, Brook B. Fonnesbeck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In some parts of the western US there is limited publicly available soil information that can be used to make land management decisions on both public and private land. A goal of the USDI Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Utah was to map an area in central Utah where such soil maps and value-added information was not available for management and restoration decisions following a wildfire. In 2007, the Milford Flat Fire had burned more than 363,000 acres, removing vegetation that was holding erosion-sensitive soils in place. Following inconsistent results from stabilization and restoration efforts, this study was funded …

Young Widows' Grief: A Descriptive Study Of Personal And Contextual Factors Associated With Conjugal Loss, C. Ryan Dunn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Grief is a natural condition resulting from the death of a loved one, and one of the most grievous experiences a person can endure is the death of a spouse. Grief can be influenced by relationships, the setting, and the survivor’s personal and social resources. Despite many studies on widowhood, young widows have received little attention. This study of 232 young widows between the ages of 18 and 55 in their first 5 years following loss was done to better describe the personal and social factors associated with younger widows’ grief. An online survey was distributed through social network sites …

Algorithmic Information Theory Applications In Bright Field Microscopy And Epithelial Pattern Formation, Hamid Mohamadlou

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The incredible patterns of multicellular organisms emerge as a result of the operation of Gene Regulatory Networks (GRN) that work during development. Understanding how GRNs produce these complex multicellular patterns is a significant challenge in biology. The primary goal of this dissertation is to employ Algorithmic Information Theory (AIT), also known as Kolmogorov complexity, to unravel the information complexity of GRNs and the resultant multicellular patterns. To obtain a better understanding of Kolmogorov complexity performance, first we study an application in cell image segmentation.

There are an estimated 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes in the human genome. The sheer size of the …

Pregenomic And Genomic Effects Of 24,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3, Yang Zhang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the United States, the major dietary source of protein is poultry meat, particularly chicken. Phosphorus absorption in chickens is a critical problem in poultry production. It therefore is important to understand the cellular and molecular regulation of phosphorous absorption in intestine to increase efficiency of the process. This would provide the benefits of reducing feed costs and reducing phosphorous excretion, thereby contributing to the sustainability of agriculture in the United States. Therefore, the focus of this thesis is determining the effect of vitamin D metabolites involved in phosphate homeostasis using the chicken as a model.

Fire Environment Analysis At Army Garrison Camp Williams In Relation To Fire Behavior Potential For Gauging Fuel Modification Needs, Scott M. Frost

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Large fires (400 ha +) occur about every seven to ten years in the vegetation types located at US Army Garrison Camp Williams (AGCW) practice range located near South Jordan, Utah. In 2010 and 2012, wildfires burned beyond the Camp’s boundaries into the wildland-urban interface. The political and public reaction to these fire escapes was intense. Researchers at Utah State University were asked if a spatially organized system of fuel treatments could be developed to prevent future escapes. The first step of evaluation was to spatially predict fuel model types derived from a random forests classification approach. Fuel types were …

Biogeography, Population Genetics, And Community Structure Of North American Bumble Bees, Jonathan Berenguer Koch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In 2011, several wild North American bumble bee pollinator species were reported to have declined by up to 96% in relative abundance in comparison to historic estimates, and one species was speculated to be extinct. None of these species have yet been documented to have recovered from these declines and additional species are now suggested to be at risk. Imperiled species in particular show increased specificity to narrow climatic envelopes, as opposed to putatively stable species. My dissertation describes patterns of population genetic diversity, structure, and gene flow pathways associated with climate variation and historical biogeography of bumble bees distributed …

The Effects Of Social Norms Feedback On Fruit And Vegetable Consumption And Skin Carotenoids Among College Students, Troy A. Bailey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fruit and vegetable consumption, which has been shown to have a protective effect against chronic diseases, often decreases during the first few years of college. Implementing public health interventions to improve consumption of these foods may be time-consuming, costly and burdensome. The aim of this study was to determine if a social norms intervention, examining the effects of normative and manipulated feedback of participants’ carotenoid scores compared to a no-norm control, could increase fruit and vegetable consumption among college students. Such a strategy could be a cost-effective method for promoting healthy diets in this population.

While self-reported increases in fruit …

The Influence Of A Fluctuating Water Table On Arsenic Mobility In A Western U.S. Aquifer, Allia Maher Abu-Ramaileh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Significant amounts of Arsenic (As) are seen in groundwater used for drinking water in the United States, especially in the Southwest (SW). Long-term exposure to As concentrations over the drinking water limit of 10 μg/L can cause skin and lung cancer, along with several other adverse health effects. Previous studies have evaluated the hydro-biogeochemical processes leading to the exposure of millions of people in West Bengal, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asia to unsafe levels of As in drinking water. There are some similarities between Southeast Asia and the SW U.S., but only a few studies analyzing As have been performed in …

Mitigation Of Medusahead (Taeniatherum Caput-Medusae) Through Grazing And Revegetation On The Channeled Scablands Of Eastern Washington, Clinton A. Stonecipher

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A large portion of the historical steppe and shrub-steppe habitats in eastern Washington have been altered through biotic and abiotic processes resulting in the annual grass medusahead becoming a large component of the altered vegetation. Experiments were conducted to determine: 1) if supplementing cattle with protein would help increase utilization of medusahead, 2) the grass species that could establish in the region, and 3) if mechanical disturbance would aid in such revegetation efforts. Cattle grazing medusahead-infested rangeland increased consumption of medusahead after all forage matured due to a reduction in the quality of forage alternatives. Cattle supplemented with protein increased …

Stormwater Bioretention: Nitrogen, Phosphorous And Metal Removal By Plants, Malgorzata Rycewicz-Borecki

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Stormwater runoff is an environmental concern. It increases the volume and velocity of surface water flow and contains high pollutant concentrations. High flows erode stream channels. Nutrients in the runoff cause eutrophication. Some metals from stormwater runoff is regulated by the Federal National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). Bioretention (BR) systems are often used in response to these regulations to retain and treat this stormwater runoff.

This study conducted greenhouse and field experiments, and evaluated differences in nutrient and metal removal among plant species that are typically found growing in BR systems but are not typically investigated in this detail. …

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy-Based Biomarker Detection For B-Cell Malignancies, Nathan Israelsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

B-cells are responsible for the production of antibodies and the recognition of dangerous pathogens. When B-cells become cancerous, they no longer perform these vital functions. This reduced B-cell activity results in greater susceptibility to opportunistic infections and increasing health risks. To effectively care for different cancer subtypes, targeted diagnosis and treatment is required. To determine the specific B-cell cancer type, up to twenty different cancer biomarkers on the cell surface need to be detected at the same time. Traditional methods are not capable of detecting such a large number of biomarkers simultaneously. This paper presents the design of a system …

Romantic Relationship Quality And Technological Communication: Examining The Roles Of Attachment Representations And Rejection Sensitivity, Ron C. Bean

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is important to understand normal developmental patterns in romantic relationships, which develop within historical and cultural contexts and are influenced by social and technological advancement. One of the core features of developing attachment in romantic relationships is proximity to the attachment figure, for which technology may be a substitute. This study described patterns of computer-mediated communication (CMC) in young adult relationships. We hypothesized that core relational and personality features were linked to participants’ interpretations of CMC.

For this study, 97 college students provided overall scores for rejection sensitivity, insecure attachment styles, relationship satisfaction, and data about CMC with their …

Scalable Bio-Production Of High Value Products In Bacteria, Yukie Kawasaki

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Natural products are structurally and chemically diverse bioactive compounds produced by living organisms. The complex structures of natural products are often difficult to duplicate synthetically and thus industrial production of natural products most often depends on use of the host organisms. In this dissertation research, scalable production of natural products was pursued in bacterial platforms.

Biliverdin IXα is a natural anti-inflammatory compound which is emerging as a potent cytoprotectant in the medical field. Syringomycin E is a natural fungicide expected to be an effective agrofungicide in organic farming. Both biliverdin IXα and syringomycin E have limited supplies in the market. …