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Classification And Prediction Models For Natural Streamflow Regimes In The Arid Southwestern Usa, Angela M. Merritt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Understanding how natural variation in flow regimes influences stream ecosystem structure and function is critical to the development of effective stream management policies and actions. Spatial variation in flow regimes is well understood for stream reaches in mesic regions, but a more robust characterization of flow regimes in arid regions is needed, especially to support biological monitoring and assessment programs. Methods are specifically needed that can accurately predict the flow regime expected at ungauged reaches. We used long-term (41 y) records of mean daily flow from 287 stream reaches in the arid western USA to develop and compare several alternative …

Effects Of The Radiation Belt On The Plasmasphere Distribution, Stefan Thonnard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examines the interaction of plasma, ions and electrons created by Solar illumination in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, that travels along magnetic field lines filling the Plasmasphere, and the naturally occurring trapped particles known as the outer radiation belt. Although these two science disciplines have been largely worked independent of each other due the vast differences in the energy of the particles, recent satellite observations indicate a large population of particles with lower energy and greater mass also exist in the outer radiation belt. This study shows that during conditions of low solar output in an 11-year cycle, these …

Fruit Tree Responses To Water Stress: Automated Physiological Measurements And Rootstock Responses, William D. Wheeler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

New orchard plantings utilize trees grafted to dwarfing rootstocks planted close together to facilitate larger harvests. These dwarfing rootstocks have not been comprehensively studied for their ability to withstand drought. This is of special importance in the Intermountain West which has limited rainfall. Additionally, orchard growers face competition for water from a growing population and increased uncertainty in rainfall from climate change. My research examined the use of dendrometers, which measure changes in trunk diameter, and sap flow sensors, which measure how quickly sap moves, as methods to inform growers about tree water status. I also used a weighing lysimeter …

Identification Of Bovine T-Cell Populations Involved In Placental Growth And Development, Kelsy A. Leppo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Today, the dairy industry is comprised of cows that can produce around 20,000 pounds of milk in a year, yet producers often see only 30% to 50% of animals produce a live calf after each breeding. While many factors may be at play, there is evidence that the immune system plays a large role in regulating pregnancy and in preventing immune mediated abortions. Maternal immune system changes during pregnancy have been shown to occur both locally in the uterus, which is in direct contact with the placenta, and systemically in the blood. Research in humans and mice has shown that …

Novel Polymorphisms Of Zrsr2 And Gpm6b Gene Homologs And Their Use In Sex Identification Of Bovine And Porcine Species, Evan K. Peterson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Accurate and cost-effective PCR based sex identification is important in animal production because it gives producers the ability to determine the sex of embryos prior to transfer, saving time and money. The most efficient PCR sex identification assays work by using a single primer pair to amplify a specific target region located on the Y-chromosome and a second, separate target region on the X-chromosome.

This thesis reports the design of two novel assays. The first assay was designed to target the Zinc finger CCCH-type, RNA binding motif and serine/arginine rich 2 (ZRSR2) gene found on the X-chromosome and its Y-chromosome …

Exact Generalized Voronoi Diagram Computation Using A Sweepline Algorithm, Daniel Marsden

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Voronoi Diagrams can provide useful spatial information. Little work has been done on computing exact Voronoi Diagrams when the sites are more complex than a point. We introduce a technique that measures the exact Generalized Voronoi Diagram from points, line segments and, connected lines including lines that connect to form simple polygons. Our technique is an extension of Fortune’s method. Our approach treats connected lines (or polygons) as a single site.

"You Can Tell They Care": A Phenomenographic Study Of Student Experiences With Empathic Concern Expressed By Professors In Engineering, Kate Youmans

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In order to address the increasingly complex challenges of the 21st century, there is a need to continue to grow the technical workforce by improving graduation rates of engineering students. To accomplish this, the culture of engineering programs must shift from demanding or intimidating to more inclusive and supportive. Professors can play a critical role in creating these cultures by building relationships with students. Empathic concern is essential in building relationships that can encourage student growth and development. This form of empathy, sometimes referred to as care or concern, is expressed through actions of understanding, compassion, and non-judgement. While research …

Classification Of Jacobian Elliptic Fibrations On A Special Family Of K3 Surfaces Of Picard Rank Sixteen, Thomas Hill

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

K3 surfaces are an important tool used to understand the symmetries in physics that link different string theories, called string dualities. For example, heterotic string theory compactified on an elliptic curve describes a theory physically equivalent to (dual to) F-theory compactified on a K3 surface. In fact, M-theory, the type IIA string, the type IIB string, the Spin(32)/Z₂ heterotic string, and the E₈ x E₈ heterotic string are all related by compactification on Calabi-Yau manifolds.

We study a special family of K3 surfaces, namely a family of rank sixteen K3 surfaces polarized by the lattice H⊕E …

Recombinant Piriform Spider Silk Production, Cole R. Peterson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Spider silks are remarkable biomaterials, possessing a variety of desirable mechanical and material properties. Humans have long-sought to utilize these materials. Spiders produce a range of different types of silks for different purposes, such as web-building, egg casing, and prey swathing. Because spiders are difficult to farm, a synthetic biological approach must be used to produce silk-like proteins. This research is intended to improve the production of piriform, a specific type of spider silk. This was done with targeted-improvements to microbial metabolism and recovery methodologies. The methods developed in this research are useful for other types of silk production and …

Water, Fish, And Fire: Interdisciplinary Research On Ecosystem Services And Climate Adaptation, Liana Prudencio

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ecosystem services, or benefits from the environment, are plentiful and vary from place to place. Human activities and climate change have impacted these services in every region of the world. This dissertation explores multiple ecosystem services, from water quality improvement to provisioning of fish and habitat, in multiple and international contexts. The first chapter synthesizes the literature on stormwater management and ecosystem services, finding that research at this intersection has provided many parcel-level studies and frameworks for implementing green infrastructure. The second chapter extends the stormwater management literature by quantifying the impacts of green infrastructure on water quantity and quality …

Embedded-Atom-Method Modeling Of Alkali-Metal/Transition-Metal Interfaces, Jake D. Christensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Understanding the thermal properties of materials is essential to using those materials for technological advancement which can benefit civilization. For example, it has been proposed that essential components of tokamaks, devices which perform fusion, be made out of tungsten with a thin layer of lithium on the surface. To that end, this thesis seeks to calculate the thermal properties of a layer of alkali atoms, like lithium and sodium, on tungsten and molybdenum substrates. We use an Embedded Atom Method (EAM) model to perform our calculations. This type of model has been widely used to describe the interaction between atoms …

Delta Hedging Of Financial Options Using Reinforcement Learning And An Impossibility Hypothesis, Ronak Tali

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In this thesis we take a fresh perspective on delta hedging of financial options as undertaken by market makers. The current industry standard of delta hedging relies on the famous Black Scholes formulation that prescribes continuous time hedging in a way that allows the market maker to remain risk neutral at all times. But the Black Scholes formulation is a deterministic model that comes with several strict assumptions such as zero transaction costs, log normal distribution of the underlying stock prices, etc. In this paper we employ Reinforcement Learning to redesign the delta hedging problem in way that allows us …

Effects Of Short Season Irrigation On Pasture Yield And Predicting Yield With Sentinel-2 Satellite, Ihsan Bugra Bugdayci

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Deficit irrigation can reduce agriculture water use making additional water available for other uses. This study looked at multi-year impacts of deficit irrigation on pasture yield. The results show that that early irrigation provides the most benefit to cool season pastures and late season irrigation only had small impacts on yield. According to this research, irrigation water can be saved without impacting the yield importantly.

Remote sensing techniques are becoming a part of agriculture. Yield predictions are important for the farmers and others involved with agriculture. In this research, relationships between the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) calculated from remotely …

Cost-Effective Planning Strategies For Battery Electric Bus Systems, Yi He

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In recent years, actions have been taken by countries around the world to create a more sustainable energy future. Electrifying transit buses is considered as a promising option to reduce emissions and increase sustainability of the transportation sector. However, there are still several barriers to the adoption of electric buses (e-buses). The barriers include, but are not limited to, the range limitations of e-buses, high up-front costs of e-buses, large capital expenses for charging infrastructure, and a lack of understanding regarding e-bus operation and management. This dissertation aims to overcome these barriers through the development of cost-effective planning strategies from …

Examination And Empirical Forecast Of Wheat Yield In Northwest India Based On Climate And Socio-Economic Factors, Avik Mukherjee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study summarizes the findings of research organized in two parts. The first part includes the impact of climate and socio-economic factors that affected wheat yield in northwest India during the 2000s. The second part focused on the forecast of average wheat yield for the two highest wheat producing states Punjab and Haryana.

Initial study focused on the impact of climate factors on wheat yield in northwest India. It has been found that above normal temperature coupled with water shortage i.e. irregular irrigation and low soil moisture contributed to the prolonged yield reduction during 2002-2010.

Next, we reviewed the socio-economic …

The Development And Use Of A Secondary Electron Yield Database For Spacecraft Charge Modeling, Phillip Lundgreen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Charge modeling of electron-solid interactions requires a detailed and accurate compilation of experimental data on which to base its physics and against which to test its predictions. Historically researchers used methods involving individual research or information taken from existing, vague, databases that were often found wanting. To streamline the charge modeling process, a collection of data has been assembled and categorized based upon surface morphology and contamination from various published sources and existing databases. The quality and quantity of the compilation vary widely with very little information offered with regards to surface conditions of various materials (contamination, morphology, etc. ...). …

Triggerable, Targetable, And Trackable Flavonol-Based Carbon Monoxide-Releasing Molecules, Livia S. Lazarus

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Long known as a toxic gas, carbon monoxide (CO) has been recently redefined as a health beneficial molecule produced endogenously in humans. The biological activity of CO has been extensively examined in inflammatory conditions, vasoprotection, anti-apoptotic and anticancer studies, although the mechanisms of action are still not well defined. Because CO is a gaseous molecule, a straightforward administration would be inhalation. However, this delivery method is limited to use in hospital settings under professional supervision. For improved control over the amount and location of CO delivery, metal-free and light-triggered carbon monoxide-releasing molecules are of particular current interest. Our lab is …

Reducing Daily Hassles In The Classroom: Teaching Coping Techniques To Elementary School Children, Fiona Molsberry

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Stress, including stress from daily hassles, can have a negative effect on children. Coping skills can be helpful for dealing with stress, but must be effective for the type of stressor the student is experiencing. Teaching children effective coping skills can help them manage stress and may also have a positive impact on perceived classroom climate.

Researchers examined what the relation between a brief CBT intervention with a classroom-based generalization phase on the student rated frequency of daily hassles which occur at school and on the student rated distress levels associated with the hassles, how helpful and acceptable do the …

Water Use In Jujube (Ziziphus Jujuba) With Applications In Irrigation Timing And Quantity, Preston S. Colver

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) is a major fruit crop in China where it has been a favored cash crop and successfully used to address erosion problems in the Loess Plateau region of western China. Further use of jujube in forestry projects and improved agricultural efficiency are very promising. This study sought to repeat a water-use study in two climates: a hot, semi-arid climate in Yangling, Shaanxi, China and a dry-summer, continental climate in Logan, Utah, USA. The study took physiological measurements on the trees with the aim of characterizing the way that jujube uses water. This would help to …

Formal Verification Of The Adversarial Robustness Property Of Deep Neural Networks Through Dimension Reduction Heuristics, Refutation-Based Abstraction, And Partitioning, Joshua Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Neural networks are tools that are often used to perform functions such as object recognition in images, speech-to-text, and general data classification. Because neural networks have been successful at approximating these functions that are difficult to explicitly write, they are seeing increased usage in fields such as autonomous driving, airplane collision avoidance systems, and other safety-critical applications. Due to the risks involved with safety-critical systems, it is important to provide guarantees about the networks performance under certain conditions. As an example, it is critically important that self driving cars with neural network based vision systems correctly identify pedestrians 100% of …

Understanding The Microbial Population Of Lactococcus Lactis. Subsp. Strains During Cheese Making And Initial Storage, Rhitika Poudel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Cheddar cheese is manufactured by fermenting milk with lactic acid bacteria added as Lactococcus lactis. The two major subspecies used are lactis and cremoris. Starter culture for this study was prepared and donated by Vivolac Cultures Corporation, Greenfield, Indiana. Cheddar cheese was made in duplicate using two strains of lactis and cremoris. Milled curd was salted with 2.0, 2.4, 2.8, 3.2 and 3.6% salt, pressed for 3 h and stored at 6¬∞C. The curd was sampled during cheese making and after 6d storage. Two different methods of enumeration were employed. One method involved plate counting which only …

Collaboration And Reflexivity In Wildland Fire Risk Governance In The Western United States, Brett Alan Miller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation presents both quantitative and qualitative analysis on different aspects of wildland fire risk management in the western United States. Each of these chapters is framed by and examines the sociological concept of reflexivity, which describes a process of individual and/or collective reflection. This reflexivity is needed to identify and enact alternative management strategies that contend with the expected increases in the number and severity of wildland fires in the future due to the combined effects of even-aged forest growth after years of timber extraction, a legacy of fire suppression, climate change, and increasing human development in the wildland-urban …

The Relationship Between Mindfulness, Academic Stress, And Attention, Tida Blackburn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Some degree of anxiety in learning situations is expected and normal. However, excessive anxiety and stress negatively affect cognitive performance, especially working memory, concentration, and sustained attention. Studies have shown that higher success in academics is related to a better ability to maintain focus on the information presented including auditory and visual attention. College students who are better able to manage stress are more successful than those who cannot. One method of coping with stress and anxiety is the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present in the moment, be aware of one’s mind, body, and …

Environmental Controls On Didymosphenia Geminata Bloom Formation, Lindsay Capito

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Climate change is causing rapid glacial recession and earlier snowmelt, which alter the physical and chemical properties of rivers. As a result, organisms at the base of the food web are responding in unforeseen ways. We use the nuisance algae D. geminata (Didymo) as a case study for how climate induced shifts in the timing of glacial and snowmelt runoff are affecting river ecosystems. We evaluated how shifts in the timing of nutrient concentrations and light availability affect nuisance blooms of Didymo in three complementary ways. These are, field studies across streams in various stages of glacial recession, weekly measurements …

The Moderating Role Of Psychological Inflexibility In The Relationship Between Minority Stress, Substance Misuse, And Suicidality In Lgb+ Adolescents, Sean N. Weeks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adolescence is a difficult time, especially for those who do not identify as heterosexual (e.g., gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual, pansexual; LGB+). Increased rates of substance abuse and suicidality are well documented outcomes that tend to be worse in the LGB+ adolescent community than in mainstream groups. Minority stress, the effect of unique stressors experienced by those in the LGB+ community explained by external and societal influences, has been accepted within the research community as a theory used to explain the health disparities seen in this group. This study proposed a possible further explanation, in addition to minority stress, that helps …

Nodulation And Growth Of Shepherdia × Utahensis ‘Torrey’, Ji-Jhong Chen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Shepherdia ×utahensis ‘Torrey’ (Elaeagnaceae) is a hybrid of two native actinorhizal plants in the Intermountain West, S. argentea (silver buffaloberry) and S. rotundifolia (roundleaf buffaloberry). Due to actinorhizal symbiosis, atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) can be converted to ammonium, a bioavailable form. Actinorhizal plants have great value in sustainable nursery production and urban landscape use. However, nitrogen fertilizer negatively affects the nodulation of actinorhizal plants. As a newly developed hybrid, both the symbiont identity and nodule formation of S. ×utahensis ‘Torrey’ remain largely unknown. Therefore, experiments were conducted to investigate the nodule formation of S. ×utahensis ‘Torrey’ inoculated with field …

Laboratory Scale Anaerobic Reactors For Bioenergy From Wastes: Materials, Mathematical Models, And Stoichiometry, Yehor Pererva

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Anaerobic processes are being explored for the production of bioenergy in the form of biomethane and biohydrogen in a "waste-to-value" approach that considers wastes as a resource. Laboratory scale Biomethane potential (BMP) tests and Up-Flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactors can be used to indicate the potential recovery of bioenergy from industry wastes. The goals of this research were to: (1) conduct a critical review of models for determining biomethane potential, (2) develop a theoretical relationship for stoichiometry for biomethane and biohydrogen from wastes, and (3) develop key design aspects for geometry and infrastructure, including gas-liquid-solid separation in laboratory UASB …

Racial And Ethnic Differences In Adverse Childhood Experiences And Health Outcomes In Adulthood, Sallie Mack

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked to many negative physical and mental health disorders in adulthood. Many individuals in the United States have ACEs, and rates are higher among people of color. Less is known about how to prevent these physical and mental health disorders and symptoms for individuals with ACEs. Five different factors may help in intervening on the negative effects of ACEs. These include: mental wellness, healthy relationships, physical activity, sleep and nutrition (Burke Harris, 2018). This study investigated how these factors influence health in adulthood for individuals with ACEs. The current researcher used data from the …

Habitat, Diet, And Foraging Ecology Of Willow Flycatcher In Sierra Nevada Meadows, Scott E. Dietrich

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The last stronghold of the California Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) population, which exists in the Sierra Nevada, continues to decline, necessitating a clearer understanding of how meadows provide habitat for the species. To gain this understanding, we assessed vegetation type, saturation levels, and invertebrate species at 51 different sites within four meadows located in the Little Truckee River drainage. 17 of these sites were occupied by nesting Willow Flycatcher during the time of the study, 17 sites had been occupied by nesting Willow Flycatcher in annual surveys between 1997 and 2010 but are no longer used, and 17 …

Comparison Of Public Mental Health Stigma In Youth, Desiree A. Clarke

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study looked at mental health stigma in youth. Mental health stigma is devaluing, disgracing and disfavoring individuals with mental illness. Participants aged 11-14 completed a measure to rate their stigmatizing beliefs toward peers with either ADHD, depression, or asthma. Their ratings were compared for significance between genders and for the three different conditions: ADHD, depression, and asthma. Significant differences were found between the stigma ratings for asthma, depression and ADHD. ADHD had significantly higher stigma ratings than asthma, and depression had significantly higher stigma ratings than ADHD (on some, but not all, areas rated) and had consistently higher …