Digital Commons Network^™

Quantifying Volatile Fatty Acid Concentrations During The Pretreatment And Anaerobic Digestion Process, Sascha Boutelle

Theses and Dissertations

Producing renewable energy from biomass or from the wastewater treatment process has gained momentum in the past 20 years. Anaerobic digestion has historically been used as one step in the waste treatment process, to both reduce the mass of waste that needs to be disposed of and to generate biogas. This process is typically only able to reduce 30-40% of the waste mass because of the recalcitrant nature of the waste streams being treated. Anaerobic pretreatment with the thermophilic bacteria Caldicellulosiruptor bescii (C. bescii) has been proven to increase the percentage of mass digested and consequently increase methane production to …

Understanding The Ahupua'a: Using Remote Sensing To Measure Upland Erosion And Evaluate Coral Reef Structure, Logan Kalaiwaipono Ellis

Theses and Dissertations

Under ever intensifying pressures from land use, climate change, and erosion, tropical islands are among the most vulnerable systems in the world. Terrestrial systems are weakened by intensifying land use patterns, the weakening of which is highlighted when high intensity rainfall events erode sediment and leads to sediment deposition on the marine system. The deposition of sediment on the marine system is a major stressor that can lead to weakened coral reefs and a decrease in marine resources commonly gathered for food. These interactions have led to the emergence of biocultural resource management strategies, one of which is the ahupua'a …

What An Interesting Video To Put On The Internet (An Amusing Economic Indicator), Dahlia S. Bloomstone

Theses and Dissertations

My exhibition reconciles representations of domesticity, labor, and morality through the lens of sex-work (SW). It consists of video work, a video game, and free-to-take objects, where donation, the strip club, and the fish tank converge. My work concludes that SW is a timeless construct that will always exist even after reimagining multiple worlds.

Of Bugs And Wildfires: Tracing The Impacts Of Changing Wildfire Regimes On Aquatic Bacteria And Macroinvertebrates Using Edna, Isabella M. Errigo

Theses and Dissertations

Human disruption of climate, habitat, and ignition has altered the behavior of wildland fire at local to continental scales. In many regions, novel fire regimes are emerging that threaten to exceed the capacity for local management to protect human wellbeing and ecosystem function. Simultaneous changes in climate, species composition, and fire management have resulted in extreme fire behavior in many regions. For the Western United States, the emerging novel fire regime consists of more frequent, severe, and intense wildfires, with annual area burned by wildfire having doubled and high-severity wildfire area having increased 8-fold since the 1980s. The impacts of …

Effect Of Climate History On The Genetic Structure Of An Antarctic Soil Nematode, Abigail C. Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Historical climate disturbances such as glacial cycling and fluctuating stream, lake, and sea levels strongly influence the distribution and evolutionary trajectories of Antarctic terrestrial species. Antarctic invertebrates, with limited long-range mobility, including the ubiquitous sentinel nematode species Scottnema lindsayae, are especially sensitive to climate disturbances. We tested hypotheses associated with the historical geographic and population genetic structure of this species as it occurs across the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDVs) of Antarctica. In order to reconstruct the influence of climate disturbance and ecological conditions on this species, partial mitochondrial COI gene sequences were sequenced and analyzed from individual S. lindsayae collected …

Computational Tools For Modeling And Simulation Of Sooting Turbulent Non-Premixed Flames, Victoria B. Stephens

Theses and Dissertations

Turbulent combustion systems are physically complex processes that involve many interdependent phenomena---including turbulent fluid dynamics, multi-component mass transfer, convective and radiative heat transfer, and multiphase flow---that occur over a wide range of length and time scales. Modeling and simulation studies complement experimental work by implementing and validating models and providing predictive capabilities, but current software tools are often limited by a lack of standardization and best practices, non-robust implementation, or over-specialization. Some topics in combustion CFD research, notably radiative heat transfer and soot modeling, are critically underrepresented in simulation studies as a result of software limitations. This project establishes and …

Core Microbiome To Fingerprint Dust Emission Sources Across The Western United States Of America, Detiare Lisa Leifi

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past century, dust emissions have increased in frequency and intensity due to anthropogenic influences and extended droughts. Dust transports microbes, nutrients, heavy metals and other materials that may then change the biogeochemistry of the receiving environments. The purpose of this study was to find whether unique bacterial communities may provide distinct fingerprints of dust sources in the Western USA. We collaborated with the National Wind Erosion Research Network (NWERN) to identify bacterial core communities (core) of dust from ten NWERN sites, and compared communities to location, soil, and regional characteristics. In order of importance, precipitation levels (F = …

The Effect Of Gut Microbiota On Overwintering Success In Mule Deer, Emma Wilcox

Theses and Dissertations

Mule deer are an important rangeland grazer, large prey species, and game animal for the state of Utah, so herd size is monitored and managed actively. A significant cause of population decline is poor overwintering survival, including from the lack of available forage during winter months. Mule deer energy storage is correlated with greater overwintering success, so physical estimates of energy storage including body condition score (BCS), rump fat (RF), and loin thickness (LT), can be used to track and predict a herd's health. Current methods of collecting deer information are costly, time consuming, and cause physical stress to deer, …

Wildfire Modeling With Data Assimilation, Andrew Johnston

Theses and Dissertations

Wildfire modeling is a complex, computationally costly endeavor, but with droughts worsening and fires burning across the western United States, obtaining accurate wildfire predictions is more important than ever. In this paper, we present a novel approach to wildfire modeling using data assimiliation. We model wildfire spread with a modification of the partial differential equation model described by Mandel et al. in their 2008 paper. Specifically, we replace some constant parameter values with geospatial functions of fuel type. We combine deep learning and remote sensing to obtain real-time data for the model and employ the Nelder-Mead method to recover optimal …

The Cholera-Fiend: Cheap Fiction, Medical Professionals, And Entertainment, Sariah Fales Harrington

Theses and Dissertations

First published in 1849, Charles Averill’s The Cholera-Fiend follows three villains as they attempt to artificially propagate cholera for their own villainous purposes in New York City. Gumbo, a Black servant to one of the villains, is meant to be the humorous relief in the text, but Gumbo experiences a calculated dehumanization from human to disabled, which causes him to be more at-risk for a health crisis—such as a tapeworm or cholera—than his white counterparts. Through analyzing the genre of cheap fiction, the views of medical professionals towards Black bodies, and other ways Black bodies were used as entertainment, I …

Parent-Child Relationship Quality, Emotion Reactivity, And Suicide Ideation Among Adolescents, Deborah Schaeffer

Theses and Dissertations

The rate of teenage suicide has increased markedly in recent years, highlighting the need for greater understanding of the factors that underlie such behavior. While separate studies have established significant associations between the quality of the parent-child relationship and suicide ideation, and between emotion reactivity and suicide ideation, no prior research has examined the interaction of these variables. The current study used survey data collected from 111 youth recruited in emergency departments and inpatient units to measure parent-child relationship quality (the PACHIQ-R scale) and emotion reactivity (the ERS) as predictors of severity of suicide ideation at three months into the …

Biofilm Characterization And The Potential Role Of Edna In Horizontal Gene Transfer In Hospital And Meat Isolates Of Staphylococcus Aureus And Their Biofilms, Ashley Lynne Ball

Theses and Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogen responsible for a wide variety of life-threatening diseases such as bacteremia, endocarditis, and pneumoniae. S. aureus has been a major concern in recent years due to the rampant spread of antibiotic resistance. The ability of S. aureus to form biofilms aids in the spread of antibiotic resistance as biofilms are a known hotspot for horizontal gene transfer. Biofilms also protect cells from host immune responses and antibiotics, making these infections very difficult to treat. The matrix of S. aureus biofilms can be made of polysaccharides, protein, and DNA. In these studies, we sought to elucidate …

Methemoglobin Formation Via Nitric Oxide And Comparison Of Methemoglobin, Deoxyhemoglobin, And Ferrous Nitrosyl Hemoglobin As Potential Mri Contrast Agents, Roya Ayati

Theses and Dissertations

Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) are in widespread use to enhance magnetic resonance angiography images for evaluating vascular pathology. However, there are safety concerns and limitations regarding the use of GBCAs. It has been shown that the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal intensity (T1-weighted images) in some of the brain's tissues is higher for patients who had multiple exposures to GBCAs compared to patients who had never had exposure to GBCAs. This implies that GBCAs are not sufficiently removed from body such that GBCAs may potentially have long-term effects on the human body. These potential safety concerns have led to an …

Evaluating Equitable Access To Nutrition In Utah, Emma Stucki

Theses and Dissertations

One of the more recent topics in transportation policy making and project prioritization in DOT's across the United States is how to improve quality of life. This quality of life focus is an intersection of public health and transportation and has many different branches including traffic safety, pollution, active transportation, equity, and accessibility to resources. The topic among these that seems to receive the least attention is equitable access to resources. However, with the proven impact that equitable access to resources has on physical and emotional well-being, as well as economic opportunity it is important to ensure that all populations, …

Medical And Socioeconomic Predictors Of Psychosocial Functioning In Pediatric Hydrocephalus, Vanessa Wall

Theses and Dissertations

Hydrocephalus can impact all areas of health, including physical, cognitive, and psychosocial functioning. Etiology can be a major factor in health outcomes, but prior research on psychosocial functioning in hydrocephalus has been with limited etiologies. This study examined psychosocial functioning using the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3) and the Hydrocephalus Outcome Questionnaire (HOQ) in children aged 5-17 years old. BASC-3 and HOQ parent report scores were compared between hydrocephalus etiologies. Medical factors (number of CSF diversion procedures, history of seizures, and years with hydrocephalus) and SES factors (family income, parent education, and parent occupational status) were examined …

The Role Of Chitinase A In Mastitis-Associated Escherichia Coli Pathogenesis, Weston D. Hutchison

Theses and Dissertations

Bovine mastitis is a common disease among dairy cattle characterized by the inflammation of the udders and loss of milk production. Mastitis-associated Escherichia coli (MAEC) are frequent causes of the disease, but the features that distinguish them from other E. coli strains remain enigmatic. MAEC infections can range from sub-clinical to severe, acute cases that can be fatal. Historically, the severity of mastitis has been attributed to host factors but more recently, a few bacterial genes have been shown to contribute to virulence in mastitis infections. In a large-scale genomic analysis of >100 MAEC isolates the gene for Chitinase A …

Psychological Distress Mediates The Relationship Between Health And Satisfaction With Daily Marital Interactions: A Daily Diary Assessment, Stephanie L. Richardson

Theses and Dissertations

Literature has often connected the variables of physical health, mental health, and romantic relationship satisfaction or quality. However, there has yet been any evidence of a mediating relationship. The purpose of this study is to test for mediation of satisfaction with daily marital interactions on physical symptoms through psychological distress. The data is from the Life and Family Legacies Daily Experiences Study and includes 191 older couples over the course of 14 days. Multilevel dyadic models were estimated for both the same-day data as well as lagged data. Indirect effects between the variables were significant, but not for the lagged …

Autonomic Responses During Animated Avatar Video Modeling Instruction Of Social Emotional Learning To Students With Adhd: A Mixed Methods Study, Jesse D. Rhodes

Theses and Dissertations

For those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), social interactions involving high levels of face-to-face interaction can raise stress levels and emotional dysregulation. Using animated avatar video models may mitigate potential emotional dysregulation while learning social skills in these populations. This study examined autonomic data of adolescents aged 7-13 diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), n=5 during avatar animated video modeling (AAVM) of social and emotional skills. This was a replication study with the addition of biofeedback data collection and a change of population. Participants were given three Nearpod training modules with AAVM and multiple-choice quizzes on self-awareness, social …

"This Whole Journey Was Sacred": Latter-Day Saint Parents' Process In Coming To Accept A Transgender Child, Julia Campbell Bernards

Theses and Dissertations

This grounded theory methodology (GTM) study examines the process of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in coming to accept a transgender or gender diverse (TGD) child. Data comes from interviews with 38 Latter-day Saint parents of TGD children and 130 Facebook posts from the same population. Data was analyzed using GTM in coding and theory construction. A model of Latter-day Saint parents' process in accepting a TGD child and the factors that impact that process is presented. The results indicate that coming to accept a TGD child tends to engage Latter-day Saint parents cognitively, emotionally, …

Teacher Perceptions Of Grades And Grading In A Pandemic, Michael V. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

A grade serves as the primary means of reporting feedback to teachers, students, and parents about the student's level of learning (Heflebower et al., 2014). Many schools have attempted to have teachers adopt standards-based grading, yet school leaders do not know teachers' perceptions about grades and grading. This quantitative study examines the perceptions of 1271 secondary teachers in one school district regarding grades and grading and how they may have changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collected from a survey reveals how changes in teacher perceptions about grades and grading may yield an opportunity for further standards-based …

Parental Warmth And Disciplinary Strategies In Two-Parent-Adoptive And Biological Families, Jordan Coburn

Theses and Dissertations

Adopted children enter families with parents who on average are older, have higher income, and have more education than other family structures. Because adopted children are moving into families with more resources, research suggests that they would do just as well as, and perhaps even better than, children in biological two-parent households. However, this is not always the case. Understanding how different variables could offset any negative results of adoption is a puzzle that researchers are continually exploring. Previous research has investigated differences in investments from adoptive and biological parents through multiple theoretical lenses. I seek to add to current …

High School Dropouts, Higher Education Dreams, And Achievement: A Six-Year Study Of A High-Stakes Test In Brazil, Eveline Miranda

Theses and Dissertations

Rumberger (2020) observed that "dropping out of school has economic and social consequences both for dropouts themselves and for the country as a whole" (p. 151). Every year, many Brazilians drop out of school due to work, early pregnancies, marriage, drug consumption, crime, etc. Dropping out of school can occur due to learning challenges, poor attendance, discipline problems, or a lack of access to high school institutions. Dropouts can experience depression and anxiety and are more likely to attempt suicide. The present dissertation includes two different papers about dropouts. The first paper uses fixed effect regression to show the main …

Teaching Social-Emotional Learning To Children With Autism Using Animated Avatar Video Modeling, Emelie Davis

Theses and Dissertations

People with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulties understanding or applying skills related to Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). An individual having a better understanding of SEL concepts is generally associated with more fulfilling connections with others and increased satisfaction in life. Since people with ASD tend to have greater success with learning in structured environments, we created a module to teach these skills using Nearpod. These modules were created with videos of a person embodying a cartoon dog face using Animoji for two reasons; because the animation was meant to appeal to children, and the creation was …

Identity Work To Teach Mathematics For Social Justice, Navy B. Dixon

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, mathematics educators are conceptualized as individuals with multiple, simultaneous figured worlds that inform their decisions while planning. The study explores how two mathematics educators negotiated and orchestrated their figured worlds to plan two mathematics lessons for social justice. The results highlight how numerous the figured worlds each participant surfaced through background interviews. Some of the figured worlds were elicited by the interview questions (i.e., Race, Family, Social Justice Teaching) but other figured worlds organically surfaced through the interviews (i.e., Sexuality, Community, Activism, Critical Information Consumption). A discursive analysis of a selection of these figured worlds revealed conceptualizations …

Principles For Using Remote Data Collection Devices And Deep Learning In Evaluating Social Impact Indicators Of Engineered Products For Global Development, Bryan J. Stringham

Theses and Dissertations

Evaluating the social impacts of engineered products, or effects products have on the daily lives of individuals, is critical to ensuring that products are having positive impacts while avoiding negative impacts and to learning how to improve product designs for a more positive social impact. One approach to quantifying a product's social impact is to use social impact indicators that combine user data in a meaningful way to give insight into the current social condition of an individual or population. However, determining social impact indicators relative to engineered products and individuals in developing countries can be difficult when there is …

Efficacy Of Antimicrobial Treatments In Vitro And On Fresh Produce Against Selected Foodborne Pathogens And Microbiome Diversity Amongst Blueberry Farms, Angelica Maria Abdallah Ruiz

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on evaluating the antimicrobial activity of chlorine dioxide (ClO₂) and different plant-based antimicrobials (carvacrol, thymol, and eugenol as bioactive compounds and muscadine extract- ME and blueberry extract- BBE as plant extracts) against selected foodborne pathogens under in vitro conditions and on produce (spinach and blueberries). In addition, bacterial microbiota associated with blueberries and blueberry farm environments from three different regions: Cundinamarca, Colombia; Mississippi, United States; and Guadalajara, Mexico, was determined. Under in vitro conditions, carvacrol and thymol were more effective (lower MICs and MBCs) than eugenol against Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7 (MIC=MBC=0.2 mg/ml), and …

Resiliency Of Levee-Protected Power Networks To Flooding In A Changing Climate Integrating Environmental Justice, Seyed Saeed Miraee-Ashtiani

Theses and Dissertations

Electric power system (EPS) is an integral part of infrastructure systems. Ensuring its resiliency to extreme weather events and natural hazards is crucial to protect the safety, economy and public health. Recorded and projected data show an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events and natural hazards attributed to a changing climate. It is critical to ensure the integrity of the aging infrastructure systems and to promote environmental justice by shrinking the energy-equity gap to lower power outages in disadvantaged communities.

An important aspect is the resiliency interdependency of EPS to other critical infrastructure systems, an aspect …

Seasonal Trends And Sampling Time Of Day On Overall Microbial Population And Indicator Organisms In Catfish Parts And Catfish Processing Environment, Maria Gabriela Hidalgo-Sindoni

Theses and Dissertations

Commercial production of catfish is the leading aquaculture industry in the United States. Production in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Arkansas representing 96% of the total catfish sales in the USA. In 2017, the USDA-FSIS added testing of generic Escherichia coli and Enterococcus to the sampling of Siluriformes. The incidence of Escherichia coli in fish and seafood has been associated with possible fecal matter contamination. However, this indicator bacteria could also be a part of the natural microflora of catfish ponds where processing plants collect hybrid catfish. Aerobes, Psychrotrophs, Coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Enterobacteriaceae counts among environmental, liquid and fish …

Molecular Insights Into The Redox Of Atmospheric Mercury Through Laser Spectroscopy, Rongrong Wu Cohen

Theses and Dissertations

The widespread pollution of mercury motivates research into its atmospheric chemistry and transport. Gaseous elemental mercury (Hg(0)) dominates mercury emission to the atmosphere, but the rate of its oxidation to mercury compound (Hg(II)) plays a significant role in controlling where and when mercury deposits to ecosystems. Atomic bromine is regarded as the main oxidant for Hg(0) oxidation, known to initiate the oxidation via a two-step process in the atmosphere – formation of BrHg (R1) and subsequent reactions of BrHg with abundant free radicals Y, i.e., NO2, HOO, etc. (R2), where the reaction of BrHg +Y could also lead to the …

Animal Husbandry In The 21st Century: Application Of Ecological Theory And Precision Technology To Inform Understanding Of Modern Grazing Systems, Ira Lloyd Parsons

Theses and Dissertations

Ruminant animals comprise the greatest proportion of herbivores around the world, provide essential ecosystem services and human consumable protein by consuming grass and human inedible dietary fiber. Herbivory pressure alters plant communities and species diversity, effectively making grazing animals ecosystem engineers in dynamic ecosystems. Development of advanced computer processing power coupled with biometric and ecosystem sensors may be employed in the internet of things framework to create an integrated information system designed to inform understanding of grazing system function and animal energy balance. Towards this end, I utilized Bos indicus / Bos taurus crossbred steers (n = 20) across two …