Digital Commons Network^™

Trends In Us Crop Yields & Water Use, Britta L. Schumacher

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Over half the land in the US is dedicated to agriculture, with the vast majority of all cropland cultivated in corn, wheat, or soybean. Despite continuing advances in agricultural technologies, and consistent yield growth over the twentieth century, research suggests that environmental change is already impacting agricultural yield and future changes are sure to exacerbate challenges to agricultural production. It follows that the future of US agriculture depends on the evolution of the changing climate, the relationship between crop yields and the environment, on-farm management and adaptations, the ecosystems that support agriculture, the political and economic incentives that shape what …

Socioscientific Issues In School-Based Agricultural Education: Describing And Exploring Factors Of Integration, Michelle S. Burrows

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Socioscientific issues (SSI) are complex issues which are scientific in nature and have societal impacts. Many SSI have connections to agriculture and as such should be included in agricultural education curriculum. A clear understanding of what school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers know about SSI is needed. The purpose of this research was to explore the knowledge and integration of SSI among SBAE teachers by describing and explaining the factors that influence integration. This quantitative survey research was guided by the SSI-based instruction framework and the three-component model of agricultural education. The population for this study was all SBAE teachers in …

Algorithms For The Calibration And Correction Of Texel Images Using Inertial Measurement Updates, Trevor C. Welch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A 3D terrain map can be developed to survey the earth’s surface and provide scientists with a method of accurately modeling terrain. Some of the applications include agricultural surveys, disaster management, and object classification. In order to develop a 3D terrain map, a sensor must capture all of the data to create the map. This 3D mapping tool can be made by combining a sensor that take samples of points on the earth’s surface and combines that with a digital camera that takes an image and lays it across those samples of the earth.

In order to take data over …

Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of River Incision And Terrace Deposition In Response To Climate And Tectonics In Southern Taiwan, Dominique M. Shore

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Geologists often look at the Earth’s surface to understand the underlying processes that cause mountain formation. As tectonic forces drive uplift of Earth’s surface, processes of erosion transport sediment to lower elevations. Climate can play a large role in landscape formation as well as increased precipitation, accelerating rates of erosion. Rivers leave markers of landscape evolution through terrace landforms, former river floodplains that are left behind when rivers incise into a valley. To better understand landscape response to uplift, this research investigated the initial linkages between uplift, hillslope erosion (mass wasting) and river incision. At some point, it is thought …

Monitoring Populations And Movement Of Bobcats (Lynx Rufus) On The Eastern Slope Of The Sierra Nevada Mountains Of California, Michael Brown

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Monitoring the spatial ecology and population densities of carnivores is critical for effective management and conservation of these populations and the ecosystems in which they exist. However, effective monitoring of carnivore populations through estimates of space use, habitat selection and densities can be difficult due to their relatively low densities and wide ranging, elusive behaviors. Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are medium sized, top-level predators which are widely distributed across North America. Quantifying space use, habitat selection and developing effective population monitoring strategies for this species will have important implications for wildlife management.

My first objective was to use telemetry …

Design Of Miniaturized Sweeping Langmuir Probe And Electric Field Probe For The Sport Mission, Nathan P. Tipton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Scintillation Prediction Observation Research Task (SPORT) is a joint United States of America and Brazil 6U CubeSat mission. The US is providing the science instruments and the spacecraft launch. Brazil is providing the spacecraft bus, integration, and operations. Utah State University will provide four instruments for the mission as part of the US contribution in a suite called the Space Weather Probes (SWP). These instruments are the Sweeping Langmuir Probe (SLP), the Electric Field Probe (EFP), and the Sweeping Impedance Probe (SIP). Higher frequency components of the SLP and EFP will be observed through a Wave Spectrometer (WS). These …

Application Of Computational Fluid Dynamics To Determine Gas Expansion Factors Of Differential Pressure Flow Meters, Patrick L. Campana

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this research was to investigate if computer simulations could be used to accurately predict gas expansion in differential pressure flow meters. Differential pressure flow meters are used to measure the flow rate of pressurized liquids and gases through pipes. Computer simulations of liquid and gas flows were conducted for three distinct differential pressure flow meter geometries: Classical Venturis, Stand Concentric orifice plates, and wedge meters.

Gas flows were modeled as dry air using the assumption of a perfect gas. Expansion effects were modeled using the ideal gas law. Computer simulations of Classical Venturi and Standard Concentric orifice …

Herennius Philo And The Dilemma Of Lexicography, Alec Smitten

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis seeks to explore De Diversis Verborum Significationibus, the surviving epitome of the lexicon of Herennius Philo of Byblos (ca. 64-148 CE). By placing Philo in the timeline of Greek lexica, his prescriptive style and desire for absolute correctness in speech stands out among other lexicographers, and raises this question: what is the purpose of a dictionary, to describe how words are used, or to define “correct” usage?

Studies Of Classical Analysis After Whittaker And Watson, Ting-Yao Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The goal of this thesis is to solve problems from the first four chapters of the book, titled A Course of Modern Analysis: An Introduction to the General Theory of Infinite Processes and of Analytic Functions with an Account of the Principal Transcendental Functions by E.T. Whittaker and G.N. Watson. The titles of the first four chapters are “Complex Numbers,” “The Theory of Convergence,” “Continuous Functions and Uniform Convergence,” and “The Theory of Riemann Integration,” respectively. This book is a classic mathematical analysis textbook that contains some challenging end-of-chapter exercises and some details within each chapter are often left to …

Developing Advanced Electrodes And Electrolytes For Energy Storage Beyond Li Ion Batteries, Kevin V. Nielson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Electric vehicles, smart phones, and portable computers are all powered by lithium-ion batteries. This is because Li-ion batteries can store more energy in less space than other battery technologies. Also, they are rechargeable and last for a long time. The most recent 2019 Nobel prize in chemistry was awarded to John Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino “for the development of lithium-ion batteries”. Through their work, they have made possible cars that do not burn fossil fuels and phones that are wireless and portable. Not only can Li-ion power your phone, it is an incredibly efficient way to store …

Short- And Long-Term Mechanisms For Increasing Inputs Of Phosphorus In Mountain Waterbodies Of Northeastern Utah, Usa, Jessica Scholz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient that allows life in water to flourish, but changes in phosphorus supplies are not well understood in remote watersheds. In mountain environments, remote watersheds contain critical high-quality water supplies and unique ecosystems, but excess phosphorus can diminish water quality by producing unfavorable aquatic species. Therefore, observed trends of increasing phosphorus concentrations in remote lakes and rivers in the US over the last two decades are a significant concern. Using the Uinta Mountains as a case study, we evaluated three different direct and indirect pathways for phosphorus increases in remote mountain watersheds that may explain observed …

Responses Of Pacific Fishers To Habitat Changes As A Result Of Forestry Practices In Southwestern Oregon, Tessa R. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The fisher (Pekania pennanti) is a medium-sized carnivore found in mature forest stands across much of the northern United States. Although historically abundant in the west, fisher populations declined rapidly after fur trapping, extensive logging, and urban development reduced their numbers. Currently, biologists are concerned about the effects timber harvest practices have on fisher tolerance and adaptability when faced with changes to high-quality habitat stands. Tree removal and thinning of understory vegetation are frequently used to alleviate the spread of wildfires in previously dense forest stands with a potential for large-scale habitat loss; yet, a deficit of large …

Remote Ocean Forcing On Interannual-To-Decadal Climate Variability Through Inter-Basin Interactions, Zachary F. Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation explores the connection between ocean basins through the atmosphere by employing observational data analyses and a climate modeling approach. Sea surface temperature changes in the tropical Pacific, known as the El Niño Southern Oscillation, can influence worldwide weather and sea surface temperatures in other ocean basins. For instance, tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures can impact the Atlantic and Indian Oceans through airflow changes along the equator. However, Atlantic and Indian Ocean sea surface temperature changes can also influence the tropical Pacific through similar processes. Therefore, it is challenging to identify the mechanisms of these remote connections between ocean …

Factors Explaining Remote Work Adoption In The United States, Paul A. Hill

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Rural Online Initiative program at Utah State University Extension supported this quantitative study investigating the factors explaining the process of remote work adoption by organizations in the U.S. Given the potential for remote work with respect to technological advances, shifts in traditional work arrangements, and its impact on organizational/operational efficiency, there was a need to investigate how organizational characteristics and leaders’ perceptions of remote work relate to its adoption. This study was guided by Rogers’ theory of diffusion of innovations where research objectives were to (1) determine where organizations range in the innovation-decision process of remote work adoption, (2) …

Bibliotherapy For Depression: Evaluating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy And Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Approaches And Examining The Role Of Client Choice, Carter H. Davis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An alarming number of college students suffer from depression, which is often accompanied by struggles with anxiety and feeling inadequate compared to others (i.e., stigma). Seeing a counselor in person is challenging for many students due to wait times or feeling embarrassed or shameful. Using self-help books may be a helpful alternative for depressed students, but these books are not often tested in formal studies, and getting students to use self-help books over time is also difficult. Therefore, this study examined whether self-help books accessed online could help students with depression. We tested two books which use different approaches to …

A Laboratory Study On The Geometric Effects Of Piano Key Weirs On Scour For Non-Cohesive Substrates And Simple Mitigation Techniques, Wyatt Lantz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Sustainable flood control infrastructure is needed as climate change continues to produce more extreme precipitation events, as our water infrastructure continues to age, and as populations continue to grow and expand. Non-linear weirs, such as labyrinth and piano key weirs, are sustainable passive flood-control structures due to their improved hydraulic performance, and low maintenance and construction costs. However, like other structures, these weirs are susceptible to local scour, which is removal of soil and rock due to hydraulic forces. The scour phenomenon is a complicated process dependent upon multiple variables. There is limited information for non-linear weirs with little directed …

An Analysis Of Racial Disparities Affecting College Of Business Degree Completion At A University's Satellite Campuses, John S. Jaggi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research study provides campus-type specific insight into the graduation rates of students of color at a departmental (i.e., School of Business) level. With underrepresented student populations comprising up to a third of business school enrollment, there is institutional and departmental value in understanding how, and at what levels, undergraduate business students of color persist and graduate at satellite campuses.

Findings from this study could be used to inform institutional and departmental administrators and program managers on different strategies to foster not only a more diverse matriculation, but also to improve graduation outcomes for underrepresented student populations. Study results could …

Snake Mind, Wolf Body, Panther Courage: Jojo Rabbit As A Critique Of Hegemonic Masculinity, Christian W. Lippert

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In 2019, the movie Jojo Rabbit (Waititi, 2019) was released to theaters. Because the film uses comedy and satire to tell a story about Jojo, a young Nazi who has Hitler as an imaginary friend, it received mix reviews. This analysis focuses on how the movie sheds light on the negative influence of hegemonic masculinity. Hegemonic masculinity refers to the messages and actions that place men above women or types of masculinity above femininity and other masculinities. Jojo’s desire to be a Nazi is deeply connected to his desire to be man. This analysis examines how hegemonic masculinity a) can …

Investigating Heat Risk Messaging Using Social Media Studies And A Survey Experiment, Yajie Li

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Extreme heat causes hundreds of deaths each year in the United States even though cost-effective protective measures are available. Heat warning messages sent by government agencies have the potential to reduce the negative impacts by motivating people to take protective actions. To help reach the potential, this dissertation examined the content of warning messages and public responses to warning messages in the US. This research analyzed three kinds of data: 1) heat warning messages posted on Twitter, 2) public comments on heat warning messages posted on Facebook, and 3) experimental results collected using an online survey.

Results show that, for …

Achieving Hate Speech Detection In A Low Resource Setting, Peiyu Li

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Online social networks provide people with convenient platforms to communicate and share life moments. However, because of the anonymous property of these social media platforms, the cases of online hate speeches are increasing. Hate speech is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as “public speech that expresses hate or encourages violence towards a person or group based on something such as race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation”. Online hate speech has caused serious negative effects to legitimate users, including mental or emotional stress, reputational damage, and fear for one’s safety. To protect legitimate online users, automatically hate speech detection techniques are …

The Effects Of Cannabinoids On Stress-Coping Behaviors And Neuroendocrinological Measures In Chronic Unpredictable Stress: A Preclinical Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Noa Reuveni

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is unclear if cannabis helps individuals cope with life’s stressors or increases the likelihood of developing stress-related disorders such as depression. Chronic unpredictable stress is a validated model of depression that exposes rodents to a series of frequently-occurring, intermittent stressors over the course of a few weeks. This systematic review and meta-analysis summarizes existing research using rodents on the effects of cannabinoids on stress-coping behaviors and neuroendocrinological measurements in chronic unpredictable stress. Databases were systematically searched for articles that met inclusion criteria, and effect sizes between control chronic unpredictable stress groups and cannabinoid-treated chronic unpredictable stress groups were calculated. …

The Relationship Between Social Skills And Coping Drinking Motives: A Test Of The Social Skills Deficit Vulnerability Model, Jaimee A. Smart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Because drinking alcohol to cope has many negative outcomes (e.g., alcohol use disorder, problematic drinking patterns, etc.), it is vital to understand what contributes to drinking to cope. Having adequate social skills and social support has been found to help overall mental health. As such, it was logical to reason that social skills and social support could also impact physical health. Specifically, social skills and social support were examined as potential ways to buffer coping drinking development. This study utilized information from 176 adults living in the United States to understand the role social skills and social support play in …

Variability In Long Bone Processing: The Result Of Bone Resiliency Or Marrow Utility?, Jonathan P. Keith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In archaeology, the study of animal remains helps researchers understand what animals past hunters sought to prey upon and what decisions they made related to field butchery. Archaeological excavations in sites of the Northern Great Plains and the Snake River Plain have shown that a disproportional amount of bison limb bones occur relative to other bones in the body. Limb bones contain marrow, and to break these open ancient butchers would use hammer stones and rock anvils. Such processing behaviors often leave impact scars, and these often vary in frequency from one part of the skeleton to the next.

My …

Associations Between Adolescent And Parent Media Connection And Perceptions Of Emotional Climate In The Home, Laura A. Woodland

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An overwhelming increase in technology and media use this past decade has been found to affect family relationships in various ways. Devices such as cell phones, tablets, and computers, have been found to both be the means of bringing family members closer together by communicating from a distance, while also disrupting and straining family connection, in particular the adolescent to parent relationship. Data from the Flourishing Families Project was used to analyze the varying perceptions of adolescent and parents regarding technology communication with one another and their personal perception of the emotional climate in the home. Results from this study …

Investigating Routes And Effects Of Pesticide Exposure On The Blue Orchard Bee (Osmia Lignaria), Andi M. Kopit

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

With native pollinator species on the decline and the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) industry suffering, it is imperative that we understand the impacts of agricultural practices on pollinators. The blue orchard bee, Osmia lignaria (Megachilidae), is an important alternative pollinator of commercial orchards. Osmia lignaria are solitary, cavity nesting bees with a wide distribution across North America. This species and other solitary, cavity nesting bees experience different routes of pesticide exposure than social pollinators, such as colony-dwelling bumble bees and honey bees. Chapter I focuses on routes of pesticide exposure experienced by cavity-nesting bees, incorporating the relative importance …

Effect Of Biocrust Development On Establishment Of Native Plants In A Salt Desert System, Merran Owen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Salt desert shrublands are semiarid, shrub-dominated ecosystems that inhabit salt- affected soils. In Great Basin salt deserts, exotic annual plants are invading and displacing native plants. Low plant productivity and slow population growth of native plants in these ecosystems makes them vulnerable to invasion and limits their ability to compete with invasive plants and return to a natural state. Active revegetation efforts, such as planting and direct seeding of native plants, are often unsuccessful for the same reasons. Biological soil crusts (communities of cyanobacteria, lichen, moss, microfungi and other microorganisms that live on the surface layer of the soil) are …

Demographics, Accuracy, And Impact Of Feed Laboratories In The United States, Jerald H. Severe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Feed analysis is very important to modern society. In the United States feed analysis is used to optimize production of food animals. Feed analysis is also used as a tool to place value on crops. As important as feed analysis is to society, little research has been done that describes which feed laboratories are the most popular and why people use them. It has been thought by some patrons that different results from the same feed sample are obtained by different laboratories. Is this true? If so, what is the effect on those that use feed laboratories to produce animals, …

Characterizing Water And Water-Related Energy Use In Multi-Unit Residential Structures With High Resolution Smart Metering Data, Joseph C. Brewer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As urban populations continue to grow and expand, localized demands on water supplies continue to increase as well. These water supplies, which have been historically stable, are also threatened by an increasingly erratic climate. Together, these two factors have significantly increased the likelihood of long-term drought conditions in the American West. In response, water suppliers are investigating new ways to record water use in urban areas to better understand how water is used. One of these methods is smart meters; advanced devices that can record and transmit water use information directly to the water supplier. However, these devices can produce …

Perceptions Of Consulting In Inclusive Preschool Classrooms, Natalie E. Forsythe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Consulting is a method of delivering special education services in inclusive preschool classrooms (consisting of both students with disabilities and typically developing peers) where special education teachers and related service providers (consultants) visit the classroom and support general education preschool teachers (consultees) in implementing special education services and accommodations. This thesis examined the results of a survey gathering perspectives of both consultants and consultees on the definition of the consulting role and factors in building positive consulting relationships. Providers from both groups who responded to this survey defined the consultant role as working with both students and consultees, but primarily …

Automation Of Feature Selection And Generation Of Optimal Feature Subsets For Beehive Audio Sample Classification, Aditya Bhouraskar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The last couple of decades have witnessed an abnormal phenomenon of reduction in the bee population, this is a serious matter of concern as three out of four crops available globally have honey bee as their sole pollinator causing significant economic losses and an unbalance in the ecosystem. There have been many theories about the cause of bee colony collapses such as parasites, pesticides and poor nutrition however conclusive evidence of this phenomenon is yet to be identified.

Human inspection of beehives requires precision. It takes an experienced beekeeper to determine the health of a hive by the sounds generated …