Digital Commons Network^™

Dual Adaptive Recumbent Trike, Jason V. Eastman

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The DART team's objective was to develop a tandem recumbent tricycle that would be economical, easy to build, and adaptable. This would involve designing, building and testing the tricycle.

A Preliminary Analysis Of The Fluid History Of A Normal Fault In The Keno Pit, Alligator Ridge Mining District, White Pine County, Nevada, John G. Solum

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The flow of oil along faults is only poorly understood. In many cases a fault is the only means of transportation for the oil from its area of deposition to its current location. This assumption is reasonable due to chemical fingerprinting of oil. In some cases the oil in a reservoir and the oil in a fault zone have been analyzed chemically and found to be the same. The problem is this; early in a fault's history it produces a thin layer of fine-grained material between its fault surfaces. This condition is not conductive to fluid flow. Therefore another mechanism …

Poseidon American Society Of Civil Engineers/Master Builders Rocky Mountain Regional Concrete Canoe Competition, William Spencer Guthrie

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The concrete canoe team has been selected in behalf of the Utah State University Student Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers to prepare an entry for the 1998 ASCE Rocky Mountain Regional Concrete Canoe Competition. This event is co-sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers and Master Builders, Inc., and has become a tradition at annual ASCE regional conferences nationwide.

Philosophical Questions About The Ethics Of Intellectual Property, Jason Ellis Anderson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Intellectual Property can be divided into two broad categories, Patents and Copyrights or Trade Secrets. Trade Secrets as it nomenclature suggests are secrets kept for some economic reason. The classic example of a Trade Secret is the Coca-Cola formula. This formula has been the foundation of its empire yet is only protected by its right to secrecy. Trade Secret justifications are fairly clear and based on the right of privacy and personal autonomy. The key difference between Trade Secrets and Patents/Copyrights are that Patents or Copyrights are accessible to the public. Trade Secrets are required to be inaccessible and non-disclosed.

Pre-Referral Portfolio Assessment For Limited English Proficient Students, Elizabeth Grayce Stevens

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

What can be done to ensure that the needs are met of children who are limited in proficiency of the English language? Such is the familiar query of educators and professionals alike. In fact, one elementary school principal stated that this question often presents itself as the first item of business when administrators meet together (Marian Waterman, personal communication, October, 1997). How do we know where to place a child? How do we evaluate progress? When progress is limited, how do we know if the child requires special education services? The answers lie in appropriate assessment.

The Role Of An Invasive Exotic Plant On The Structure Of Aquatic Invertebrate Assemblages: Tamarix In The Southwest United States, Bert Lewis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Over the past 100 years, riparian vegetation communities throughout the Southwest United States have been extensively invaded by Tamarix spp. (saltcedar). Saltcedar derives its common name from its physiological adaptation to excrete salts. The production of Tamarix detritus with associated secondary chemicals may affect the quality of aquatic invertebrate food and habitat resources. An alteration in food and habitat quality may affect the composition and structure of aquatic invertebrate assemblages.

A series of experiments was conducted contrasting aquatic invertebrate assemblage densities, colonization rates, and growth rates associated with Tamarix versus native vegetation, Populus fremontii (cottonwood) and Salix exigua (willow), to …

The Nonuse Of Figurative Language In Conduct Disordered Adolescents, Mike Berger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The relationship between the literal language and conduct problems among conduct disordered adolescents was examined in 109 subjects. The inability to use figurative language was found to be positively related to ratings of conduct problems. Both the parents' discipline style and nonuse of figurative language were related to conduct problems in conduct disordered adolescents. The possible role of other variables, for example, age, sex, and IQ, was examined. Possible mechanisms that could relate the lack of figurative competence and conduct problems were explored.

Utilization Of Spatially Distributed Soil Resources By Several Species Common To The Great Basin, Sarah Duke

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Heterogeneous spatial and temporal distributions of soil resources important to plant growth have been documented in the sagebrush steppe ecosystem. There can exist as much variability in soil resources within the root zone of individual plants as exists across an entire field. The objective of this dissertation research was to evaluate how plants respond to, utilize and influence the spatial heterogeneity of soil resources. The three specific sets of questions addressed are outlined in the three main chapters of this dissertation.

My first study addressed how the number and concentration of phosphorus (P) patches in the root zone of an …

All-Sky Measurements Of The Mesospheric "Frontal Events" From Bear Lake Observatory, Utah, Seon-Hee Seo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Studies of internal gravity waves in the earth's upper atmosphere are of considerable interest. These waves play a very important role in the dynamics of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (ML T) region where they can transfer large amounts of energy and momentum from the lower atmosphere via wave saturation and dissipation. In particular, small-scale short-period ( < 1 hour) waves of the type regularly recorded by all-sky nightglow imagers operated by Utah State University (USU) are known to be very important contributors. In this thesis attention is focused on a subset of small-scale wave phenomena recently discovered using such image data, the so called "frontal events." Frontal events have distinguishable characteristics from usual short-period ( < 1 hour) gravity waves. The principal characteristics are a well defined leading "front, " which exhibits a sharp change in intensity followed by a coherent wave trail (often extending from horizon to horizon) and relatively high phase speeds ( > 50ms^-1) Another unusual characteristic of "frontal events" is an apparent reversal in contrast of the wave structures as imaged in the hydroxyl (OH) emission (peak altitude - 87 km) when compared with the oxygen (OJ) "green line" (557.7 nm) emission (peak …

Small Strike-Slip Faults In Granitic Rock: Implications For Three-Dimensional Models, Siang Joo Lim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The geometry and mineralization features of small left-lateral strike-slip faults and associated fractures in Lake Edison Granodiorite of the central Sierra Nevada, California, were examined in order to model the three-dimensional structure of strike-slip faults. These faults, which are reactivated joints, were also examined to determine fault sizes, starting joint size, and evidence for fluid flow.

The associated secondary fractures are usually found in the dilational quadrants of fault-tip regions. The longest fault-segment trace is 32.14 m; the longest joint trace is 22 m. The joint population length (l) is represented by a power-law distribution (l^{-n …}

Three-Dimensional Structure Of Small Strike-Slip Fault Zones In Granitic Rock: Implications For Fault-Growth Models, Kim R. Robeson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Three small strike-slip fault zones exposed in granitic rock in the central Sierra Nevada, California, provide field-based data to construct three-dimensional representations of each fault zone in order to compare with the geometries predicted by existing fault-growth models. All three fault zones are nearly vertical, strike -N60°E, and have left-lateral slip. The fault zones range from 60 to 140 m in length and 1 to 12 m wide. Each fault zone consists primarily of parallel to subparallel fracture and fault traces 2 to 56 m long and is separated 25 cm to 7 m by intact rock. One fault zone …

The Association Between Marital Therapy Enactments And Couple Communication, Paul Floyd Kindall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This exploratory study focused on the use of positive, negative, and neutral enactments in couple therapy and the effectiveness of each type of enactment in immediate changes in specific communication behaviors. The sample consisted of 37 videotaped segments of the 10 minutes before and the lO minutes after an enactment. Communication behaviors were coded using the Marital Interaction Coding System-Global (MICS-G). Paired! tests were used to test the differences between pre- and post-enactment scores. Positive enactments (n = 20) were not related to positive nor negative communication behaviors. There were not enough negative enactments (n = 2) to …

Parental And Teacher Priorities For Children's Requisite Kindergarten Entry Skills, Kelly J. O'Claire-Esparza

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined mothers', fathers ', preschool teachers', and kindergarten teachers' opinions regarding children's requisite kindergarten entry skills. Participants were 101 preschool teachers from eight counties in northern Utah, as well as 113 kindergarten teachers and 286 parents of kindergartners from five school districts in northern Utah. Questionnaires were administered to assess opinions regarding (a) the preschool teachers' role in preparing children for kindergarten, (b) the parental role in preparing children for kindergarten, (c) priorities for requisite kindergarten entry skills, (d) the importance of specific skills emphasized in preschool, and (e) the importance of specific skills emphasized in kindergarten.

Findings …

Familial And Extrafamilial Correlates Of Children's Child-Care Perceptions, Michael K. Godfrey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to identify the individual, familial, and child-care characteristics related to children's perceptions of their nonparental child-care environments. One-hundred seventy-five children, their families, and child-care providers participated in this study. Children attended one of three forms of child care: large center-based child-care settings, home-based child-care settings, and a preschool. Correlates of children's perceptions of their child-care experiences came from variables classified into six categories: individual child characteristics, family structure, family processes, previous child-care experiences, child-care structure, and child-care processes.

Children's perceptions were elicited through the Child Care Game Assessment (CCGA), a role-playing game-like experience for …

The Relationship Between Collateral Therapy And The Adult Pedophile's Ability To Advance Through Levels Of Treatment, Julie G. Bennion

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between collateral therapy and the adult male pedophile's ability to advance through levels of treatment. Data from a convenience sample of 27 adult male pedophiles attending therapy at Intermountain Specialized Abuse Treatment Centers were collected for this study. Data were collected from participants' files on 22 independent variables, including the primary independent variable, collateral sessions. The dependent variable was the time it took participants to advance through levels of treatment.

A comparison of measures of central tendency for participants who had and those who had not participated in collateral therapy …

Essays On Scale Economies And Efficiency In Public Education, Kalyan Chakraborty

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Efficiency in public education is a significant issue in the United States. Nationwide, real expenditure per student increased 8% per year between 1960 and 1993, but output as measured by standardized test scores has not increased and in some cases (i.e., the verbal SAT [Scholastic Achievement Test] score) has declined. One explanation is that resources are not being utilized efficiently either in the technical or allocative sense. Also, the issue is important because substantial savings are possible by consolidation of schools and/or districts.

This dissertation explores efficiency by measuring technical efficiency at the school district level from four perspectives. The …

Perceived Fairness And Effectiveness Of Rangeland Collaborative Processes, Kimberly J. Richardson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Involvement in collaborative partnerships in natural resource management has become a popular method for natural resource management agencies to collect public input, cope with conflicts, and develop ecosystem management plans. This thesis evaluates various collaborative processes, emphasizing multiple-owner partnerships. Qualitative interviews of 46 landowners in Utah were conducted to reveal concerns and suggestions regarding multiple-owner landscape-level collaborative partnerships. Landowners were concerned about private property rights infringement and losing control of their private land. Landowners were primarily concerned about the fairness and effectiveness of any partnership in which they were involved.

However, they were willing to consider participating if certain procedural …

A Preliminary Evaluation Of The Students' Realizing Educational Potential Program, Frances Y. Tous

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Students' Realizing Educational Potential Program (REP) was implemented in the 1993-94 academic year to reduce dropout rates for ethnic minority students at Utah State University. This program is currently funded by a 5-year grant, pending renewal upon demonstration of its effectiveness. A formative evaluation was conducted to determine whether the REP program has accomplished its goals thus far, using 157 minority students. Two levels of analysis were conducted. In the first level, admission index scores, college grade point averages, and the average number of quarters enrolled were compared among three REP and non-REP cohorts. The REP program did not …

Radio Pulse Properties Of The Millisecond Pulsar Psr J0437-4715. I. Observations At 20 Centimeters, F. A. Jenet, S. B. Anderson, V. M. Kaspi, T. A. Prince, S. C. Unwin

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present a total of 48 minutes of observations of the nearby, bright millisecond pulsar PSR J0437-4715 taken at the Parkes Observatory in Australia. The data were obtained at a central radio frequency of 1380 MHz using a high-speed tape recorder that permitted coherent Nyquist sampling of 50 MHz of bandwidth in each of two polarizations. Using the high time resolution available from this voltage recording technique, we have studied a variety of single-pulse properties, many for the first time in a millisecond pulsar. We show that individual pulses are broad band, have pulse widths ranging from ∼ 10 (∼ …

Design Of The Guidance, Navigation, And Control Subsystem For The Proposed Firebird Spacecraft, Erin Robinson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Firebird spacecraft is a space mission to gather scientific and physical data on the effects of atmospheric deceleration, commonly called aerobraking. The objective of the Firebird mission is to measure specified aerobraking parameters over a range of reentry velocities to provide a database sufficient to construct and validate mathematical models of such aerobraking mission maneuvers. The Firebird senior design team designed the first spacecraft in the mission series to look at aerobraking at an altitude of 160 kilometers above the surface of the Earth. This paper looks specifically at the design of the subsystem that provides the guidance, navigation, …

On The Model Selection In A Frailty Setting, Jill F. Lundell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

When analyzing data in a survival setting, whether of people or objects, one of the assumptions made is that the population is homogeneous. This is not true in reality and certain adjustments can be made in the model to account for heterogeneity. Frailty is one method of dealing with some of this heterogeneity. It is not possible to measure frailty directly and hence it can be very difficult to determine which frailty model is appropriate for the data in interest. This thesis investigates three model selection methods in their effectiveness at determining which frailty distribution best describes a given set …

Fuels Inventory And Appraisal In Intermountain Quaking Aspen (Populus Tremuloides) Communities, Janet A. Beales

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Field research was conducted in quaking aspen, Populus tremuloides Michx., communities. Fifty-one plots were established in seven major locations in the Bear River Range of northern Utah. The locations inventoried were divided into two age classes: young aspen (under 70 yr) and old aspen (over 70 yr). Custom fuel models were developed for each age class and the data were analyzed for relationships between fuel loads and other measurable factors, including: basal area, average diameter at breast height (d.b.h.), fuel depth, litter loads, tree regeneration, shrub loads, herbaceous loads, slope, tree height, aspect, percent aspen in the plot, grazing intensity, …

Management Of Microbial Nitrate Production In Agricultural Soils, Wei Shi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nitrate (NO₃^-) is of central importance in the internal soil nitrogen (N) cycle. While animal wastes and nitrification inhibitors have been used in modern agriculture for decades, their effects on soil NO₃^- concentrations in relation to microbial NO₃^- production have not been well characterized. The objective of this research was to determine microbial NO₃^- production in relation to ammonium (NH₄⁺) availability and nitrifier population activity in agricultural soils receiving animal wastes or nitrification inhibitors.

Several laboratory and field studies assessed the impacts of variously treated dairy wastes and …

Predicting Transpiration Rates Of Hydroponically-Grown Plant Communities In Controlled Environments, Oscar Monje

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Canopy transpiration is a major factor determining crop evapotranspiration and energy budgets. Unfortunately the development of robust models of canopy transpiration is hindered by a lack of reliable data due to the difficulties of making canopy-scale measurements. However, measurements of canopy water vapor and carbon fluxes via gas exchange techniques are possible in controlled environments. Simultaneous measurements of transpiration, photosynthesis, and canopy temperature were made in wheat and soybean communities. These data were used to calculate chamber aerodynamic and canopy stomata! conductances, and to model the response of canopy transpiration to CO₂concentration and vapor pressure deficit. Canopy stomata! …

Development And Validation Of Forest Habitat Models In The Uinta Mountains, Utah, Tracey S. Frescino

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A significant question currently facing environmental managers is how to accurately and efficiently quantify forest diversity and resources. Numerous studies have demonstrated the use of modern spatial analytical tools, such as geographical information systems (GIS), remote sensing devices, and statistical models for predicting the distribution of dominant vegetation cover types. This study examines the ability of generalized additive models (GAMs) to delineate structural diversity in forested ecosystems (specifically the Uinta Mountain Range in Utah) using GIS tools and satellite spectral data, and analyzes the effect of including different forms of satellite data in model construction (i.e., Landsat thematic mapper (TM), …

Quaternary Amino Acid Geochronology Of The Lahontan Basin, Nevada, And The Chewaucan Basin, Oregon, Jeffrey Bigelow

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Amino acid geochronology based on fossil molluscs provides a useful approach to determining the Quaternary history of Great Basin lakes. The Lahontan basin, Nevada, and the Chewaucan basin, Oregon, in the northwest corner of the Great Basin, both contained lakes during the Quaternary. The aim of this study is to improve the Quaternary geochronology in these two basins by measuring time-dependent changes in amino acids preserved in fossil molluscan shells. The abundance of D-alloisoleucine relative to Lisoleucine (All) characterizes the extent of racemization, which increases with age and Ul forms the basis of relative and correlated ages. An age-calibration curve …

Modeling Soil Loss To Determine Water Erosion Risk At Camp Williams National Guard Base, Utah, Kevin P. Bartsch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Soil erosion was assessed at Camp Williams National Guard Base by creating an erosion risk classification map and comparing the erosion impact of disturbance regimes on different hillslopes. Soil erosion does not appear to be a problem for most of Camp Williams.

The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation was applied using GIS to create a soil erosion risk map for the entire Camp Williams facility. The map indicated where problem areas occurred and showed relative erosion risk, but its lack of quantitative accuracy should be noted. Areas of concern included landscapes with little or no protective vegetation such as roads, …

Chemical Weathering Of Volcanic Ash As A Probable Origin Of Chert In The Reid's Mistake Formation Of The Newcastle Coal Measures, Sydney Basin, Australia, Adil M. Wadia

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chert is normally considered to be marine biogenic in origin. However, chert lenses and nodules in the volcanic ash horizon of the Reid's Mistake Formation at Swansea Head, Newcastle Coal Measures of the Sydney Basin appear to have formed differently. Their mode of occurrence and their close association with paper-thin clay layers within the same volcanic unit suggest that they formed as a result of chemical weathering of volcanic ash. This hypothesis is supported by the data gathered from thin section petrography and x-ray diffraction analyses. Petrographic studies indicate the precipitation of microcrystalline to cryptocrystalline quartz and the dissolution/replacement/alteration of …

Effects Of Thinning And Nitrogen Fertilization On Sugars And Terpenes In Douglas-Fir Vascular Tissues: Implications For Black Bear Foraging, Bruce A. Kimball, Eric C. Turnblom, Dale L. Nolte, Doreen L. Griffin, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The chemical constituents of coniferous vascular tissues play a role in bear forage selection. In particular, bear foraging preferences are related to the concentrations of simple sugars (nonstructural carbohydrates) and terpenes in the forage. Analyses of vascular tissue samples from trees collected in test plots indicted that both thinning and fertilization caused the sugar concentration of vascular tissues in the lower bole to increase. However, these treatments had no effect on the concentrations of hydrocarbon monoterpenes, oxygenated monoterpenes, or sesquiterpenes. These results may explain the observations that black bears prefer to forage in thinned and fertilized stands.

The Moral Failure Of The Clear And Present Danger Test, David R. Dow

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

The clear and present danger test has been used for almost a century to determine the speech the government may restrain. This test assumes that at some point speech transforms into an act and at that moment the speech becomes punishable. Under the clear and present danger test, the First Amendment does not protect speech that is an incitement to imminent lawless action. Professor Dow suggests that the clear and present danger test protects too little speech. He posits that speech should be protected unless the following three conditions are met: (1) the speaker's specific intent in uttering the words …