Digital Commons Network^™

Laboratory Modeling Of Critical Hydraulic Conditions For The Initiation Of Piping, Mandie Swainston Fleshman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this research is to provide fundamental understanding of the piping phenomenon. This will lead to practical solutions to the critical hydraulic conditions for piping that account for soil properties, direction of flow, stress condition and exit face conditions. In current geotechnical engineering practice, these factors are generally not considered. The critical hydraulic gradient is assumed to be only a function of the soil buoyant unit weight. In recent analyses, laboratory experiments, and field observations indicate that piping can be initiated at gradients much lower than the values predicted by the current practice. The current practice may be …

A Multifunctional Solar Panel Antenna For Cube Satellites, Olutosin C. Fawole

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This work presented the design of a single antenna structure that can perform the functions of about four antennas. The antenna is to be applied on a new kind of very tiny satellites. These satellites are called CubeSats. In contrast to an ordinary antenna that works at a single frequency band, the antenna designed will be able to work at about three different usable frequencies. In addition, it will be possible to make the waves emitted by the antenna to have multiple senses of rotation or no rotation at all. The multiple functional capability of the antenna will lead to …

Flow Characteristics Of Arced Labyrinth Weirs, Nathan A. Christensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The need to accommodate larger reservoir discharge events has prompted the improvement or replacement of existing spillways. One possible spillway modification is the use of an in-reservoir arced labyrinth weir in place of a linear weir. Arced labyrinth weirs can increase crest length (more cycles) and have improved hydraulic efficiency in non-channelized approach flow applications, compared to traditional labyrinth weir applications.

In this study, arced labyrinth weir flow characteristics were observed for eleven different laboratory-scale model geometries at the Utah Water Research Laboratory. Rating (C_d vs. H_T/P) data and observations were recorded for each configuration, and discharge …

Modeling Lithospheric Rheology From Modern Measurements Of Bonneville Shoreline Deformation, Eric P. Beard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Here I develop a new method for estimating differences in elevation between pairs of paleo-lake shoreline features. This method is applied to Lake Bonneville, a large lake that inundated nearly 1/3 of the state of Utah as well as parts of Nevada and Idaho from 34 to 11.5 thousand years ago. Under the weight of the lake water load, the surface of the Earth was depressed by up to 75 m. This occurred as Earth mantle rock at depth flowed outward in response to the weight of the lake. I use this new methodology to compile here a denser sample …

Equivalent Fraction Learning Trajectories For Students With Mathematical Learning Difficulties When Using Manipulatives, Arla Westenskow

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study identified variations in the equivalent fraction learning of students with mathematical learning difficulties when using physical and virtual manipulatives. The study compared three interventions: physical manipulatives, virtual manipulatives, and a combination of physical and virtual manipulatives. The research used a mixed-method approach to collect and analyze data. Two types of learning trajectories were used to compare and synthesize the result. For this study, 43 fifth-grade students with mathematical learning difficulties participated in 10 sessions of equivalent fraction intervention.

Pre- to postdata analysis indicated significant gains for all three interventions. Effect size scores were used to compare the effects …

Developing A Framework To Analyze The Effect Of Mobile Technology Within A Department Of Transportation, Devin Squire

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mobile technology has the potential to have a substantial impact on governmental agencies. In order to understand the effects of mobile technology within an agency, an analysis has to be performed. This thesis presents two mobile applications that were developed to address specific areas of concern within the Utah Department of Transportation. It then, using mobile-technology specific surveys, provides a framework for effect analysis following application implementation. This framework employs both user and developer surveys to obtain data necessary to, through statistical methods, determine either a positive or a negative application induced effect. The analysis process and survey development used …

Teaching Accessibility And Design-For-All In The Information And Communication Technology Curriculum: Three Case Studies Of Universities In The United States, England, And Austria, Paul Ryan Bohman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Digital technologies allow people with disabilities to participate independently in society in ways they never could before. The full realization of these new opportunities remains elusive, though, because working professionals in the information and communication technology (ICT) field rarely receive adequate training in how to make digital ICT accessible to people with disabilities. Adding accessibility to the university ICT curriculum can help create a critical mass of ICT professionals with accessibility awareness and expertise to finally realize the full accessibility potential of digital technologies. This dissertation provides a rich informational context from which ICT curriculum leaders can decide how to …

Evaluation Of The Optimum Duration And Effectiveness Of A Plyometric Training Program For Improving The Motor Abilities Of Youth With Cerebral Palsy, Barbara A. Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Pediatric Section of the American Physical Therapy Association determined that dosing of treatments for children with cerebral palsy (CP) was a priority topic for research funding in 2013. Pediatric physical therapists currently have very little information about the best duration for treatment. Research that could answer the question "How long should my child's treatment last?" would be of interest to families of children with CP and their physical therapists.

A type of resistive exercise called plyometric exercise was used as a treatment for three children with cerebral palsy. This study used a design called single subject that allowed the …

The Effects Of Bison On Cattle Winter Range In The Henry Mountains Of South Central Utah: Resolving A Conflict, Ian M. Ware

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The American Bison in the Henry Mountains are one of the last free-roaming, genetically pure herds of bison remaining in North America. Over the last decade, the herd has used a cattle winter range during the summer and early fall, creating a conflict between the wildlife officials who manage the bison population, and Bureau of Land Management officials and local ranchers who manage the rangeland. At the heart of this conflict is the question of whether bison are negatively impacting the rangeland resource, potentially reducing the abundance of preferable plant species. Negative impacts could include reduced forage availability in the …

Synthesis And Biological Activity Of Aminoglycosides And 1,4-Naphthoquinone Derivatives, Marina Fosso Yatchang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The research described in this dissertation is at the interface of organic chemistry and biology, and it aimed at designing and synthesizing biologically active molecules for the possible development of therapeutic agents.

Spinal muscular atrophy is an incurable disease that affects 1 in every 6000 babies, making it the leading genetic cause of infant mortality. While no treatment is available, efforts are being taken to solve this issue. Part of the work outlined in this dissertation was carried out in collaboration with researchers from the University of Missouri to investigate a potential therapeutic for this disease.

In addition, the continuous …

An Analysis Of Traffic Sign Performance For The Establishment Of A Maintenance Plan, Wesley Bill Boggs

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For a variety of reasons both within and outside the control of transportation agencies, there is a higher frequency of fatalities during nighttime hours than during daytime hours. In an effort to enhance visual cues for nighttime motorists, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) established the minimum maintained retroreflectivity levels. This retroreflective mandate required agencies or public officials that have jurisdiction over a traffic sign population to implement maintenance methods that would ensure signs were performing at or above the minimum levels. Retroreflectivity is a unique type of reflection that distinguishes itself by reflecting light back in the direction of the …

Mechanisms And Signal Transduction Pathways Involved In Bovine Oocyte Activation, Ammon Hanson Bayles

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Being able to create a genetically identical, living replicate of a prized animal sounds impossible. Through advanced scientific methods and the wonders of mother nature it can be accomplished by a process called cloning. In 2003, the USU Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science department and Dr. Kenneth L. White gained world wide recognition when they, along with a team for Idaho, cloned the first equine species.

Cloning certain animals could be very advantageous to the agricultural industry. Prized animals that have died could be cloned, producing the best meat and milk supply. Animals that are sterile or endangered could be …

Performance Characterization Of Complex Fuel Port Geometries For Hybrid Rocket Fuel Grains, Andrew Bath

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Extensive research in hybrid rocket motors has taken place at the department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at USU (Utah State University) in the last several years. USU has one of the few facilities in the country capable of static-test firing rocket motors on-campus, which allows for fast-paced testing and development not available elsewhere. Research has involved investigating propulsion devices for a range of applications, including micro-satellite thrusters, hot-gas generators, and even jet-assisted takeoff kick motors. Hybrid motors have the advantage of safety over any other chemical propulsion. Since the fuel and oxidizer are stored seperately, they are relatively inert …

Utah Angler Specialization And Its Relationship To Environmental Attitudes And Angler Motivations, Joseph W. Unger Iii

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For this research, I sampled 10,000 anglers who purchased a Utah fishing or fishing/hunting combination license from January through November, 2011. An online survey link was provided to the potential participants during November-December, 2011, to determine levels of specialization, motivations for fishing, and environmental awareness/concern. Anglers were also compared to a sample from the general public to compare the two groups’ feelings toward several practices taking place on public lands. Finally, anglers were divided into consumptive and nonconsumptive subgroups to compare the environmental attitudes of these two groups.

Three angler specialization groups were identified from the sample of respondents. Anglers …

Using Biophysical Geospatial And Remotely Sensed Data To Classify Ecological Sites And States, Carson A. Stam

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Within the Intermountain West, vast expanses of big sagebrush shrubland and steppe are considered emblems of the western range. Currently, there are approximately 60 million hectares of big sagebrush within the 11 western states, four million of which are in the state of Utah. However, the historic distribution of sagebrush has been impacted by conversion to other types of land cover through juniper encroachment, urbanization, invasive weeds, and agricultural expansion. In Utah alone, big sagebrush communities have been reduced to approximately 55% of their historic extent. A primary and current example of the cumulative impact of big sagebrush loss is …

Modulation Of The Host Response To Tacaribe Arenavirus Infection In Ag129 Mice By My-24, Eric Sefing

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

MY-24 is a new antiviral compound recently shown to protect immunocompromised mice from lethal challenge with Tacaribe virus (TCRV). Tacaribe virus is incapable of causing disease to humans, but is closely related to the highly pathogenic New World arenaviruses that cause often-fatal viral hemorrhagic fever syndromes. Remarkably, MY-24 prevents mortality without reducing virus burden in the circulation or tissues. To investigate the mechanism by which MY-24 protects AG129 mice against Tacaribe virus infection, we first characterized the natural history of disease in the model with an emphasis on host immune response and blood vessel function to establish the best times …

Design And Construction Of A Tunable Light Source With Light Emitting Diodes For Photosynthetic Organisms, Nathan Phillipps

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis describes and documents the design and construction of a light source which is tunable and has the ability to mimic the spectral output of the sun in the photosynthetic active radiation range (400 - 700 nm). To adjust the spectral output at different wavelengths different types of LEDs were chosen and combined. This thesis describes the design, construction, testing, and suggestions for further improvements to this light source. The light source is comprised of 900 LEDs with 26 different peak wavelengths within the photosynthetically active radiation range. The light source is made tunable through the use of a …

Closed-Loop Thrust And Pressure Profile Throttling Of A Nitrous Oxide/Hydroxyl-Terminated Polybutadiene Hybrid Rocket Motor, Zachary W. Peterson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Hybrid motors that employ non-toxic, non-explosive components with a liquid oxidizer and a solid hydrocarbon fuel grain have inherently safe operating characteristics. The inherent safety of hybrid rocket motors offers the potential to greatly reduce overall operating costs. Another key advantage of hybrid rocket motors is the potential for in-flight shutdown, restart, and throttle by controlling the pressure drop between the oxidizer tank and the injector. This research designed, developed, and ground tested a closed-loop throttle controller for a hybrid rocket motor using nitrous oxide and hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene as propellants. The research simultaneously developed closed-loop throttle algorithms and lab scale …

Relationships Between Classroom Schedule Types And Performance On The Algebra I Criterion-Referenced Test, Gregory V. Murray

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Public education has options with regard to educational settings and structures. States and school districts may select varying lengths for the school year, lengths for the school day, and lengths for individual class periods. In Utah, one measure of students' achievement is scores on the State's end-of-level criterion-referenced test (CRT) for Algebra I. Additionally, an option regarding educational structures is the schedule type used to deliver Algebra I classes. This study examined the relationship between student achievement as measured by Algebra I CRT scores, and the schedule type used to deliver Algebra I classes. The schedule types compared were the …

Examination Of Nonpoint Source Nutrient Export From A Snowfall-Dominated Watershed, Lindsey Deboer Carrigan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined nonpoint source pollution via tributaries to Pineview Reservoir. Since few literature values of export coefficients are available for snowfall-dominated watersheds such as Pineview, locally scaled rates were quantified using an upstream-downstream bracketing technique. Nitrogen and phosphorus grab samples were manually collected and discharge measurements were conducted during the annual study period. Additionally, high-frequency monitoring sensors that measured EC, temperature, turbidity, and water level were deployed at the up- and downstream sites to represent short-duration transport events and to examine watershed processes on a more representative time scale.

Daily nutrient loads were estimated from grab samples and flow …

In Situ Measurements Of Electron-Beam-Induced Surface Voltage Of Highly Resistive Materials, Joshua Hodges

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Surface charging and subsequent electrostatic discharge due to interactions with the space environment is one of the primary concerns of spacecraft charging studies. Laboratory measurements of the evolution of surface voltages and dissipation currents under simulated space conditions are the primary method used to determine the response of key spacecraft materials to diverse incident fluxes. Increasing the database of information for the electronic properties of insulating materials can assist spacecraft designers in mitigating the harsh effects of the space environment.

The Utah State Materials Physics Group, with the funding of the NASA James Webb Space Telescope project and personnel support …

Population Dynamics And Movements Of Translocated And Resident Greater Sage-Grouse On Anthro Mountain, Utah, Natasha W. Gruber

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations have declined range-wide. Species translocations have been identified as a conservation strategy to augment declining populations in restored habitats. I evaluated protocols previously used to successfully translocate greater sage-grouse in Utah by comparing annual production, survival, habitat use, integration and seasonal movements of translocated birds and their chicks to the resident population. To conduct this study, I translocated 60 greater sagegrouse hens captured and radio-collared on Parker Mountain to Anthro Mountain in the spring of 2009 and 2010. I also captured and radio-collared 19 resident hens to serve as my control group. All …

Process Variation Aware Dram (Dynamic Random Access Memory) Design Using Block-Based Adaptive Body Biasing Algorithm, Satyajit Desai

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Process variation can be defined as the deviation of process parameters from its nominal specifications. Variation is induced by several fundamental effects resulting from inaccuracies in the manufacturing equipment. It is a combination of systematic effects (e.g., lithographic lens aberrations) and random effects (e.g., dopant density fluctuations). The effect of process variation becomes particularly important at smaller process nodes, where the variation accounts for a major percentage of nominal length or width of the device. Process variations translate to a wide range in performance metrics of current designs. As technology scales, these die variations are getting larger, significantly affecting performance …

Factors Influencing Relocation Success Of Utah Prairie Dog (Cynomys Parvidens), Rachel Curtis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Utah prairie dogs have been extirpated in 90% of their historic range due to introduced disease, eradication, and habitat destruction. Most of the population lives on private land where animals burrow in lawns and agricultural fields, which keeps this threatened species continually in conflict with landowners. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has been relocating prairie dogs from private to public land since the 1970s, but relocations have been largely unsuccessful due to high mortality. Prairie dogs are highly social animals, but they are usually relocated without regard to their family group, or coterie. Coteries typically consist of one reproductive …

Space Plug-And-Play Architecture Networking: A Self-Configuring Heterogeneous Network Architecture, Jacob Holt Christensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In spacecraft engineering, the time and money involved in satellite construction is largely spent on design and integration of custom hardware and software. These efforts are duplicated for nearly every satellite with little to no reuse between spacecraft. There is a huge potential for cost savings in removing the duplication of work. However, there is a lack of standardization in the spaceflight community, causing soaring costs and delayed schedules as each component of a spacecraft is individually designed and custom built.

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has developed the Space Plug-and-Play Architecture (SPA) to address this problem. SPA provides …

Visual Data Mining Techniques For Functional Actigraphy Data: An Object-Oriented Approach In R, Abbass Sharif

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Actigraphy, a technology for measuring a subject's overall activity level almost continuously over time, has gained a lot of momentum over the last few years. An actigraph, a watch-like device that can be attached to the wrist or ankle of a subject, uses an accelerometer to measure human movement every minute or even every 15 seconds. Actigraphy data is often treated as functional data. In this dissertation, we discuss what has been done regarding the visualization of actigraphy data, and then we will explain the three main goals we achieved: (i) develop new multivariate visualization techniques for actigraphy data; (ii) …

Transportation Network Resiliency: A Study Of Self-Annealing, Sunil Babu Pant

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Disasters have the potential to hit any geographical location with or without warning. As such, it is desirable that transportation networks are able to withstand the adverse effect of disasters and maintain the normal functioning of all sectors of society. Resilient transportation networks are least affected by disruptions created by natural and manmade disasters and are still able function with an acceptable level of service. Such networks also have ability to return earlier from disrupted state to the normal functioning state. Resilience possessed by a transportation network measures the ability of networks to maintain functionality despite adverse conditions posed by …

A Study Of Utah’S New Century Scholarship (Ncs) Program, Christine Kearl

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This was a study about the New Century Scholarship (NCS) program offered to Utah high school students at commencement for earning an AA degree by the time of high school graduation. The scholarship paid 75% of the remaining 2 years of tuition over a 5-year period. The goal of the program was to assist students to bachelor degree completion faster than the traditional time.

This program has been in Utah for the past 20 years, but little to no information about the program exists. Annually, the cost to taxpayers is approximately $2 million dollars. This study was conducted to determine …

Medical Professionalism: An Expiremental Look At Physicians' Facebook Profiles, Joseph Wright Clyde

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Use of social networking services (SNS) is on the rise. While many users sign in for personal purposes, it is not uncommon for professionals to connect over SNSs with clients, students, and patients. The present study was concerned with examining a particular group of professionals, medical doctors, and how their profiles on an SNS site related to potential patient's impressions of professionalism. Participants recruited from Utah State University (USU; n = 253) and through Survey Monkey (n = 39) were randomized to view one of six vignette Facebook profiles. Profiles were populated with solely professional material or personal material …

Observational Research In A Marketing Classroom: A Guidebook, Kristen Winterton

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Qualitative research plays an integral part in marketing research (Denzin and Lincoln, 1998). In fact, a search of the website for the American Marketing Association for the term “qualitative research” reveals literally hundreds of documents (white papers, case studies, etc) discussing methods of conducting observational research, examples of observational research studies, and the importance of observational research in marketing. Interestingly, though qualitative methods are used frequently by practitioners, they receive very limited attention in marketing textbooks. This seems particularly true of observation research, which is among the least expensive and easily conducted qualitative methods (Mann, 2003). The purpose of this …