Digital Commons Network^™

Non-Target Effects Of The 'Push-Pull' Habitat Management Strategy: Parasitoid Activity And Soil Fauna Abundance, Charles A.O. Midega, Zeyaur R. Khan, Johnnie Van Den Berg, Callistus K.P.O. Ogol, Toby J. Bruce, John A. Pickett

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

We assessed the non-target effects of a habitat management system ('push-pull') on maize stemborer specialist natural enemy activity and soil Collembola. Two study sites in western Kenya were sampled. There were two treatments at each site, maize monocrop and 'push-pull'. The latter comprised an intercrop of maize and Desmodium, Desmodium uncinatum Jacq., with Napier grass, Pennisetum purpureum (Schumach), as a trap crop planted around the edge of the plot (spaced 1 m from main crop). Trichogramma spp. were recovered from stemborer eggs while Cotesia sesamiae and Cotesia flavipes were recovered from stemborer larvae, and Dentichasmias busseolae from pupae. Mean number …

Geometry Of Control-Affine Systems, Jeanne N. Clelland, Christopher G. Moseley, George R. Wilkens

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Motivated by control-affine systems in optimal control theory, we introduce the notion of a point-affine distribution on a manifold X - i.e., an affine distribution F together with a distinguished vector field contained in F. We compute local invariants for point-affine distributions of constant type when dim(X) = n, rank(F) = n - 1, and when dim(X) = 3, rank(F) = 1. Unlike linear distributions, which are characterized by integer- valued invariants - namely, the rank and growth vector - when dim(X) ≤ 4, we find local invariants depending on arbitrary functions even for rank 1 point-affine distributions on manifolds …

Stress And Anxiety Among Korean International Students At Liberty University Analyzed With The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y), Jae Duk Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

International students face unique issues, including anxiety while adjusting to cultural unfamiliar and academic challenges. This research study examined characteristics and anxiety levels as Korean international seminary students (n = 61) living in the U.S. and compared them with Korean domestic seminary students (n = 120) living in Korea using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y) (Spielberger, 1983). The results: the Pearson correlation indicated that the state anxiety scores and trait anxiety scores were significantly related. Korean international seminary students had statistically significantly higher mean scores on state and trait anxiety than Korean domestic seminary students. The 2×2×2 ANOVA revealed …

Music Instruction And The Reading Achievement Of Middle School Students, Juanita Huber

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Comparative analysis examined responses on a descriptive questionnaire from 267 students in grades 6, 7, and 8. The study compared duration of and participation in music instruction, types of musical instruments learned, and experience in musical ensembles to scores from the state English language arts assessment. Analysis of results included descriptive statistics and the use of the Pearson r correlation coefficient. Overall findings yielded a significant positive relationship between the study of music and reading development in middle school students. A comparison of test scores to music instruction lasting longer than two years, performance on a brass or woodwind instrument, …

Alternative Sampling And Analysis Methods For Digital Soil Mapping In Southwestern Utah, Colby W. Brungard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Digital soil mapping (DSM) relies on quantitative relationships between easily measured environmental covariates and field and laboratory data. We applied innovative sampling and inference techniques to predict the distribution of soil properties, soil attributes, taxonomic classes, and dominant vegetation across a 30,000-ha complex Great Basin landscape in southwestern Utah. This arid rangeland was characterized by rugged topography, diverse vegetation, and intricate geology. Environmental covariates calculated from digital elevation models (DEM) and spectral satellite data were used to represent factors controlling soil development and distribution. We investigated optimal sample size and sampled the environmental covariates using conditioned Latin Hypercube Sampling (cLHS). …

Discovering Metabolic Networks Of Bovine Fertilization, Erin Lynn Young

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

At the time of fertilization, a dramatic change occurs in the oocyte that transforms this cell from a metaphase arrested state into a metabolically active and dynamic state. The view of the flow of biological processes within organisms has recently shifted from that of a linear path to a more complex network. Biological processes are no longer thought of in the simple terms of DNA to RNA, RNA to proteins, and proteins to final activity. It is now known that many biological processes involve interconnected networks and feedback loops in which DNA, RNA, proteins, and metabolites perform specific roles. We …

Thaw: A Memoir, Diane Bush

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This collection of creative nonfiction essays is a hybrid text of visual and verbal narratives located broadly within the genres of memoir, research-based nonfiction, and history. Women's memoirs, including a number of non-traditional texts, historical narratives, and an archival collection of photographs, provided springboards for the exploration of and reflection on the emotional terrain of loss, the ache of remembrance, and the ultimate desire for peace.

Ultimately, this work is a search for solace amidst emotional upheaval, beginning in childhood, after the deaths of my father, mother, first husband, and beloved aunt. Unable to sit still with my grief, I …

Reconciling Holocene Alluvial Records In Buckskin Wash, Southern Utah, Jonathan E. Harvey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Most approaches to interpreting alluvial records in drylands fall into one of two categories: (1) The "arroyo problem," wherein workers study cycles of streambed aggradation and degradation in broad, unconstricted alluvial valleys; and (2) paleoflood hydrology, where alluvial sequences in constricted bedrock canyons are interpreted as paleoflood deposits from streams with stable channel grade and geometry. Both approaches can be valid in their end-member settings, but there is confusion about how the two record types relate in a single drainage. We address this disconnect in Buckskin Wash, an ephemeral stream that consists of a broad alluvial reach draining into a …

An Experimental Comparison Of Middle School Students' Motivation And Preference Toward Text- And Graphic-Based Programming, Stephen E. Williams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to compare seventh-grade students' motivation and preference toward text-based programming using Visual Basic, and graphics-based programming using Robolab. Motivation was defined by the My Class Activities questionnaire using the dimensions of interest, challenge, choice, and enjoyment. Preference was determined through team and individual student choice. This study was conducted with 122 students from three 6-week technology education classes. This study examined two hypotheses. First, middles school students will be more motivated when using a graphics-based programming language than text-based as measured by the My Class Activities survey. The second hypothesis for this study …

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Effects Of The Arizona Instrument To Measure Standards (Aims) Test On Arizona High School Math And English Curriculum And Instruction, Joseph Leland Heywood

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This is a doctoral dissertation centered on a qualitative research case study on teachers' perceptions of the effects of a particular high-stakes test—the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) on high school English and math curriculum and instruction. Specifically, this case study involved three focus group interviews at three Arizona high schools. Participants were experienced English and math teachers at each school site. To broaden the perspective gained from the focus group interviews, the study included classroom observations and document analysis. Two of the high schools chosen are located on the Navajo Reservation and were specifically chosen to include an …

Quantifying Surface Water And Groundwater Interactions In A High-Gradient Mountain Stream For Solute Transport, Noah M. Schmadel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A study reach in a mountain stream highly influenced by groundwater was selected to test common data collection strategies used to characterize and quantify groundwater exchange processes necessary to predict solute transport. The data types collected include: high frequency discharge estimates with the use of rating curves, dilution gauging techniques with instantaneous tracer experiments, groundwater table and stream water surface elevations, vertical head gradients, and hydraulic conductivity estimates. The first two data types were categorized as stream gauging and the remaining three data types as site characterization. The stream gauging data were used to quantify net changes in stream discharge …

A Comparison Of Soil Moisture And Hillslope-Stream Connectivity Between Aspen And Conifer-Dominated Hillslopes Of A First Order Catchment In Northern Utah, Amy R. Burke

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mountain headwater catchments in the semi-arid Intermountain West are important sources of surface water because these high elevations receive more precipitation than neighboring lowlands. The hydrology of these mountain catchments is especially important as the region faces water shortages and conflicts. Conifer encroachment on aspen stands has been observed across the western US and can result in a decline in water yield. The overall objective of this study was to further our understanding of hillslope-stream connectivity in a headwater catchment of Northern Utah and any observable differences in this connection between aspen and conifer hillslopes. Hillslopes are the fundamental unit …

Memory Architecture Template For Fast Block Matching Algorithms On Field Programmable Gate Arrays, Shant Chandrakar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fast Block Matching (FBM) algorithms for video compression are well suited for acceleration using parallel data-path architectures on Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). However, designing an efficient on-chip memory subsystem to provide the required throughput to this parallel data-path architecture is a complex problem. This thesis presents a memory architecture template that can be parameterized for a given FBM algorithm, number of parallel Processing Elements (PEs), and block size. The template can be parameterized with well known exploration techniques to design efficient on-chip memory subsystems. The memory subsystems are derived for two existing FBM algorithms and are implemented on a …

Covert Botnet Design And Defense Analysis, Brandon Lyle Shirley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Intrusion defense system (IDS) development has been largely reactionary in nature. This is especially troubling given that botnets are capable of compromising and controlling thousands of computers before security professionals develop a mitigation technique. As new exploits are created, new mitigation techniques are developed to detect infections and, where possible, remove them. This thesis breaks from this tradition of reacting to malware. Instead, it looks at possible malicious software models through analyzing existing defense systems for exploitable weaknesses.

First, this thesis presents a new specialized botnet that circumvents current network intrusion detection mechanisms. The proposed botnet coordinates external communication among …

A Comparison Theorem For The Topological And Algebraic Classification Of Quaternionic Toric 8-Manifolds, Piotr Runge

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In order to discuss topological properties of quaternionic toric 8-manifolds, we introduce the notion of an algebraic morphism in the category of toric spaces. We show that the classification of quaternionic toric 8-manifolds with respect to an algebraic isomorphism is finer than the oriented topological classification. We construct infinite families of quaternionic toric 8-manifolds in the same oriented homeomorphism type but algebraically distinct. To prove that the elements within each family are of the same oriented homeomorphism type, and that we have representatives of all such types of a quaternionic toric 8-manifold, we present and use a method of evaluating …

Statistical Analysis Of Linear Analog Circuits Using Gaussian Message Passing In Factor Graphs, Miti Phadnis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis introduces a novel application of factor graphs to the domain of analog circuits. It proposes a technique of leveraging factor graphs for performing statistical yield analysis of analog circuits that is much faster than the standard Monte Carlo/Simulation Program With Integrated Circuit Emphasis (SPICE) simulation techniques. We have designed a tool chain to model an analog circuit and its corresponding factor graph and then use a Gaussian message passing approach along the edges of the graph for yield calculation. The tool is also capable of estimating unknown parameters of the circuit given known output statistics through backward message …

A Domain-Specific Design Tool For Verifying Spacecraft System Behavior, Sravanthi Venigalla

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In this report we present a graphical tool, Behavioral Analysis of Spacecraft Systems (BASS), that can be used by spacecraft designers to perform system-level behavioral analysis of small satellites. The domain-specific spacecraft meta-model is created in the visual modeling tool Generic Modeling Environment (GME) such that spacecraft designs created using the meta-model appear familiar to the spacecraft designers. Users can model scenarios that are to be verified for the design in BASS. The graphical models are assigned formal semantics facilitating the creation of formally verifiable spacecraft models. The C++ application that translates the modeling objects to equivalent mathematical representation of …

Geologic Mapping, Alluvial Stratigraphy, And Optically Stimulated Luminescence Dating Of The Kanab Creek Area, Southern Utah, Michelle Carlene Summa

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

At the turn of the century, Kanab Creek incised 30-meters into its alluvium, leaving behind fluvial terraces and thick basin fill sediments exposed along arroyo walls. Research objectives were to determine the timing and causes of past valley-filling and arroyo-cutting episodes along a 20 km-long reach of Kanab Creek in southern Utah. Fluvial deposits were mapped at the 1:12,000 scale and sediments were described and dated using Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon dating.

The Kanab Creek valley can be divided into a narrow, upper terraced reach and a broad lower basin fill reach near Kanab, Utah. The most prominent …

Self-Healing Cellular Automata To Correct Soft Errors In Defective Embedded Program Memories, Varun Voddi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) cells in ultra-low power Integrated Circuits (ICs) based on nanoscale Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) devices are likely to be the most vulnerable to large-scale soft errors. Conventional error correction circuits may not be able to handle the distributed nature of such errors and are susceptible to soft errors themselves. In this thesis, a distributed error correction circuit called Self-Healing Cellular Automata (SHCA) that can repair itself is presented. A possible way to deploy a SHCA in a system of SRAM-based embedded program memories (ePM) for one type of chip multi-processors is also discussed. The …

Parallelization Of Performance Limiting Routines In The Computational Fluid Dynamics General Notation System Library, Kyle Horne

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Computational Fluid Dynamics General Notation System provides a unified way in which computational fluid dynamics data can be stored, but does not support the parallel I/O capabilities now available from version five of the Hierarchical Data Format library which serves as a back end for he standard. To resolve this deficiency, a new parallel extension library has been written and benchmarked for this work which can write files compliant with the standard using parallel file access modes. When using this new library, the write performance shows an increase of four-fold in some cases when compared to the same hardware …

Defining And Meeting The Demand For Agricultural Machinery In China: A Case Study Of John Deere, Garrett W. Davis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There has been little research conducted regarding the agricultural machinery market in China. However, current data suggest that this demand is dramatically increasing. This dissertation endeavors to generally define the current demand of the agricultural machinery market in China. There has been research conducted on multiple factors of the agricultural machinery market in China, such as land tenure rights, rural migration, government agricultural policies, and others. Through the use of limited quantitative data, market demand is analyzed and defined. By means of a qualitative case study of a successful multinational corporation, Deere & Co., how the demand is being met …

Factors Affecting Air Entrainment Of Hydraulic Jumps Within Closed Conduits, Joshua D. Mortensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

While there has been a great deal of research on air entrainment at hydraulic jumps within closed conduits, very little of the research has specifically addressed size and temperature scale effects. Influences from jump location and changing length characteristics on air entrainment have also received little attention from past research. To determine the significance of size-scale effects of air entrained by hydraulic jumps in closed conduits, air flow measurements were taken in four different-sized circular pipe models with similar Froude numbers. Each of the pipe models sloped downward and created identical flow conditions that differed only in size. Additionally, specific …

The Relationship Between Residency And Socio-Demographics To Academic Performance In Ncaa Division I Freshman Athletes, Eric Matthew Snyder

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Numerous studies have been completed on the academic ability of student athletes. Since the mid 1980s, the NCAA has emphasized the importance of academics and mandated more stringent requirements to be able to participate in intercollegiate athletics. These initial-eligibility standards have been successful in increasing overall graduation rates of student-athletes, but there remain a number of concerns. The purpose of the study was to determine if an NCAA D-I freshman student athlete's place of residency on campus, as opposed to off campus, while attending college during his/her freshman year had a statistically significant relationship to achievement as it relates to …

Salinity Inventory And Tolerance Screening In Utah Agriculture, Austin Mccoy Hawks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Soil salinity, a yield-limiting condition, has plagued crop production for centuries by reducing crop productivity. Research has introduced methods for successfully managing soil salinity. This research discusses the adaptation of established management methods to create new soil salinity management techniques.

One adapted technique is an automated crop screening apparatus. A new design was created and successfully used in rapidly screening two strawberry cultivars to determine their tolerance to salinity. Screening crops and determining their tolerance to yield-limiting conditions are essential in managing soil salinity.

Another salinity management tool used in this research was electromagnetic induction (EMI). EMI was used to …

Geometry And Electronic Structure Of Doped Clusters Via The Coalescence Kick Method, Boris Averkiev

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Developing chemical bonding models in clusters is one of the most challenging tasks of modern theoretical chemistry. There are two reasons for this. The first one is that clusters are relatively new objects in chemistry and have been extensively studied since the middle of the 20th century. The second reason is that clusters require high-level quantum-chemical calculations; while for many classical molecules their geometry and properties can be reasonably predicted by simpler methods.

The aim of this dissertation was to study doped clusters and explain their chemical bonding. The research was focused on three classes of compounds: aluminum clusters doped …

Cell Phone Use And Psychosocial Development Among Emerging Adults, Torrey B. Morrill

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The cell phone has rapidly become an integral, and, for some, an essential communication tool that is being used worldwide. With cell phone ownership becoming so widespread, especially among the younger generation, society is starting to see and question the impacts of cell phone use on adolescent development.

Relations between cell phone possession, cell phone use, and psychosocial and identity development were investigated using Erikson's Psychosocial Theory and Marcia's Adolescent Identity Paradigm. A sample of 705 college students, ages 18-24, completed a questionnaire that measured the amount and type of cell phone use, identity development (Extended Objective Measure of Ego …

Design, Test, And Calibration Of The Utah State University Floating Potential Probe, Jessica D. Gregory

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The ionosphere is a conducting layer in the Earth's upper atmosphere and is the nearest naturally occurring plasma environment. Inherent to all plasma environments is an electric field. Currently, the double electric field probe is the most successful instrument for measuring the electric fields of space plasmas. Utah State University/Space Dynamics Lab has developed a double electric field probe, called the Floating Potential Probe (FPP), with a slightly different instrumentation approach than what has been done previously. The FPP is one component of a suite of instruments that launched in fall of 2007 from Wallops Island, Virginia, as part of …

A Graph Theoretic Summation Of The Cubes Of The First N Integers, Joseph Demaio, Andy Lightcap

Faculty Articles

In this Math Bite we provide a combinatorial proof of the sum of the cubes of the first n integers by counting edges in complete bipartite graphs.

Object Oriented Program Correctness With Oosiml, José M. Garrido

Faculty Articles

Software reliability depends on program correctness and robustness and these are extremely important in developing high-quality software. Correctness is also essential when considering aspects of software security. However, experience applying these concepts, associated methods, and supporting software with Eiffel and Java have shown that students find some diffculty learning program correctness and in learning the software tools provided. We have developed an experimental language, OOSimL, that includes an assertion notation similar to that of Eiffel but which has much more flexibility, and that provides the same semantics as Java.

The first part of this paper provides an overview of concepts …

Live Load Models For Long Span Bridges, Marta Lutomirska

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In the doctoral dissertation a live load model for long span structures was derived. The live load model is valid for spans between 600 ft and 5000 ft and it is intended to reflect current traffic patterns, quantities of trucks and their weights. The live load models available were developed for short and medium span bridges. Those models were not appropriate for long span bridges due to different types of structure and critical traffic patterns. Live load on long spans depends on traffic mix. One heavily overloaded truck does not have significant influence. Moreover, the continuous increase in the number …