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A Unified Framework For Embedding-Based Synthetic Data Generation With High Cardinality Categorical Features, Cesar Iram Vazquez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

High-cardinality categorical variables remain difficult to model in tabular data, where classical encoders encounter sparsity, susceptibility to leakage, and the loss of meaningful relational structure. This dissertation develops a unified framework for learning, evaluating, and synthesizing representations of such variables using both traditional encoders and modern embedding methods, including Word2Vec, FastText, Node2Vec, TF–IDF/SVD, and supervised entity embeddings. The framework is applied across three benchmark datasets (Adult, PetFinder, Breast Cancer) and a hierarchical educational case study (IPEDS/CIP). Embedding quality is examined through both downstream predictive performance and structure-focused diagnostics that quantify neighborhood behavior and geometric coherence. To assess whether synthetic data …

“Have You Ever Dreamed Of A Better Version Of Yourself?”: A Psychoanalysis Of Representations Of Women Across Age In Horror Films, Weston Blu Stogner

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine representations of older and younger women in four horror films: The Leech Woman (1960), The Shining (1980), The Witch (2015), and The Substance (2024). Regarding horror film narratives, research suggests aged women are often depicted as wicked and lacking mental faculties, while young women with idealized and privileged body types are often fetishized. According to Creed (2023), these harmful, oppressive depictions are informed by male anxieties about women in patriarchy. When women are presented as monstrous (i.e., the monstrous-feminine) in horror films, they symbolize these anxieties. Therefore, all four films selected for …

Analyzing The Impact Of Diet On Dusky Gopher Frog (Lithobates Sevosus) Development In Head Start Programs, Mckalyn Nelson

Honors Theses

Species are constantly impacted by human activity, directly or indirectly. One critically endangered species under investigation is the dusky gopher frog (Lithobates sevosus), which is an endemic species of frog found in the southeastern United States. Historically found from Louisiana to Alabama, a drought in 2002 narrowed the dusky gopher frog range even further. Head start programs have been shown to be effective in increasing population numbers; however, there is not much published data on the effectiveness of captive rearing diets for these programs. The dusky gopher frog head start program at the University of Southern Mississippi’s Lake …

Exploring Life History Trade-Offs In The Facultative Eusocial Bee Megalopta Genalis, Ana Gutiérrez Zuluaga

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Organisms face many trade-offs in how to invest in these traits. One example is the trade-off between reproduction and longevity. Queens of social insects seem to escape this trade-off, producing thousands of eggs daily, despite having a longer lifespan than their workers. Some hypotheses have been proposed to explain this phenomenon, such as an evolutionary change in the molecular pathways that regulate queen investment in maintenance, growth, and reproduction. An alternative hypothesis suggests that the tradeoffs are rarely observed in queens due to the extensive resources provided by the help of workers. While these hypotheses have supporting evidence, they have …

“Are There Any British Soldiers In Tobruk?” National Identity During The Siege Of Tobruk, May To November 1941, Stewart Golightly Weight

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Throughout this thesis, I examine what it meant to be British during the 1941 Siege of Tobruk. This is important as it reveals previous assumptions about the Second World War’s British Army, including its religious practices and regional distinctions, were more diverse and influential than previously assumed. To do this, I analyze previously overlooked sources concerning religion, morality, and regional identities to demonstrate that Second World War Britishness was not monolithic.

The Economic Impact Of Drought On Alfalfa Price Formation And Irrigation Modernization Feasibility In The Western U.S., Saba Ardakani

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This research examines how drought severity affects alfalfa hay prices across nine Western states from 2021 to 2024, using detailed economic analysis and market data. The findings show that droughts significantly raise alfalfa prices, especially when combined with other market and product factors such as forage quality and package, while other factors like corn prices also influence the market. Additionally, the research examines the economic potential of upgrading wheel-line irrigation systems with technologies such as low-pressure sprinklers and automated controls. Modernization substantially reduces water, labor, and energy costs while boosting crop yields, offering a practical solution for farmers. In Utah, …

Integrating Manager Perspectives Into The Evaluation Of Wetland Revegetation Strategies, Loren F. Taylor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Ecological restoration is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded and is dependent on complex and context-specific decisions. The decision-making process influencing restoration is rarely examined alongside ecological processes. There is a need for research that incorporates the social, economic, institutional, and logistical considerations that shape real-world practices, as well as ecological processes. Decisions made by restoration practitioners and land managers (hereon “manager”) are challenged by the lack of information shared regarding the practical constraints (e.g., cost, labor, specialized equipment) they face. Revegetation, particularly in wetlands, poses challenges due to site conditions and degradation …

Golden Eagle Predation Of Greater Sage-Grouse On Diamond Mountain Plateau, Victoria E. Thorpe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Predation and the perceived risk of predation can have major impacts on prey populations. Golden Eagles are considered one of the main predators of adult greater sage-grouse. Sage-grouse populations have been declining for decades throughout the West and wildlife managers are concerned about the impacts of golden eagles on sage-grouse. We investigated the nonconsumptive effects of golden eagles on sage-grouse by conducting observational surveys for golden eagles, sage-grouse, and other predators at sage-grouse lek sites near Vernal, Utah during the sage-grouse breeding season from 2022–2024. Additionally, we examined the prevalence of sage-grouse in golden eagle diet using DNA metabarcoding of …

The Impact Of Transmission Thresholds Across Multiple Scales On The Spread Of Chronic Wasting Disease In Wisconsin, Jen Mcclure

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Wildlife diseases can be difficult to control once they are established. This is especially true when they spread through contact with infectious material left in the environment. One such disease is chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal illness affecting deer and related species in North America and other regions. CWD is caused by prions, misfolded proteins that can remain infectious for years after shedding by infected hosts.

Recent research shows that CWD infection does not always follow from the gradual accumulation of prions through small contact events. Rather, an individual may need to encounter a certain prion dose all at …

From Mechanisms To Management: Implications Of Biogeochemical Controllers And Land Management For Soil Carbon Cycling And Storage, Savannah R. Adkins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Climate change and its cascading effects are driven by increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂). Many climate solutions exists to remove this excess carbon (C) from the atmosphere, and soils, in particular, represent one of the few win-win solutions. Soils play a vital role in the global C cycle because they store more C than plants and the atmosphere combined, however, they also release more CO₂ annually than fossil fuel combustion (a major contributor to accelerating climate change). Therefore, preventing CO₂ loss from soil could help slow the progression of climate change, and increasing overall soil …

Utilizing Diatoms In Wastewater Treatment For Pollutant Removal, Ceaira D. Howard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Wastewater treatment systems are increasingly challenged by a complex mix of pollutants including excess nutrients, organic dyes, and persistent chemicals like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Conventional treatment technologies often struggle to effectively and affordably remove these contaminants. This study explores the use of two diatom species, Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Navicula cryptocephala var. veneta, both single-celled microalgae with silica-based cell walls, as an environmentally sustainable approach to tertiary wastewater treatment. Diatoms offer dual functionality through surface adsorption properties and metabolic flexibilities, making them promising candidates for integrated treatment strategies.

To test the trophic flexibilities of diatoms, P. tricornutum was …

Material Differentiation On The Yellow Point Ridge Lithic Landscape, Gabriel Boghosian

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This paper identified material use differences on the Yellow Point Ridge Lithic Landscape, utilizing flake morphology to identify use stages of materials found on site. This research confirmed the viability of methods like PXRF in conjunction with Infield material identifications and geologist identifications, as well as expanded the understanding of South-west Wyoming land use by hunter-gatherers.

Lagomorphs, Ungulates, And Predation: Exploring Interactions And Quantifying The Effect Of Lagomorph Herbivory In Rangelands, Shantell Marie Garrett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Rangelands are expansive ecosystems that make up more than 30% of the total surface land area in the contiguous United States. In the west, they are typically categorized as shrublands, grasslands or deserts with low precipitation. The vegetation communities consist largely of grasses and forbs and are thus widely used for livestock grazing. Despite their barren appearance, rangelands are diverse ecosystems that are home to a wide breadth of species.

The Henry Mountains, located in south central Utah, is one example of this system type. With their inspiring red-rock mesas and towering plateaus, this public land, managed by the Bureau …

Impacts Of Including Sprouted Barley In The Diet Of Beef Cattle On Production, Ruminal Health, And Meat Quality, Zachary C. Crump

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Beef producers in the United States are working to meet rising global demand for animal protein while facing major challenges such as drought, climate uncertainty, and rapid urbanization. These issues make it difficult to produce consistent and dependable feed, pushing producers to explore new ways to grow feed using fewer natural resources. Vertical farming systems are one option that can grow sprouted cereal grains indoors throughout the year while using decreased land and water than traditional agriculture. Sprouted barley grows within six to seven days and may serve as a nutrient dense alternative feed source for cattle at several stages …

Reconstruction And Texturing Of 3d Surfaces From Fused Low-Cost Aerial Lidar And Optical Imagery, Samuel Kiguthi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Drones equipped with laser scanners (LiDAR) and cameras capture detailed 3D scenes. Combining the laser points with photos builds realistic, photo-textured 3D maps used in surveying, agriculture, and infrastructure planning. Conventional methods to create these maps often misrepresent inward shapes such as doorways, overhangs, and outcrops. These shapes are misrepresented because drones mainly view top surfaces and do not collect significant data on vertical or hidden areas.

This study introduces a surface-reconstruction method that groups LiDAR points into clusters, reconstructs smooth surfaces for each cluster, and uses information from recorded camera poses to stitch clusters together. Tests on real drone …

Using Luminescence Of Quartz Temper From Archaeological Pottery To Infer Wildfire Intensity In The Southwestern Us, Brooklyn D. Dib

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The size and frequency of wildfires have increased recently, impacting ecosystems, communities, and human health. This research uses the heat-sensitive luminescence signals of quartz sand temper within archaeological pottery to record past wildfire conditions. Pottery sherds, which are fragments of archaeological pottery, from the forest floor in sites in New Mexico and Arizona were collected from different fire contexts (no fire exposure, historical fires, prescribed burns, and modern wildfires). These forests are primarily Ponderosa Pine with a grassy understory. The interior sand grains of each sherd sample were analyzed using optically stimulated luminescence, which dates when the mineral grains were …

Spatial Strategies For Restoring Native Biodiversity And Connectivity In Managed Landscapes Of The Upper Clutha Basin, New Zealand, Jessica Zuban

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Across New Zealand and around the world, biodiversity is declining due to the widespread loss and fragmentation of native habitat. This is especially true in agricultural landscapes, where native habitats have been replaced by intensive land use. This research focuses on the Upper Clutha Basin in Central Otago, New Zealand that has been significantly altered over time by farming, development, and other human activities. As a result, only a small amount of native vegetation remains, and the region is well below the critical threshold needed to support healthy ecological systems.

This study investigates how native vegetation can be strategically restored …

Biocontrol Of Canada Thistle (Cirsium Arvense) With The Rust Fungus, Puccinia Punctiformis In The Intermountain West: Integrated Weed Management Compatibility And Characterization Of Microbiome Associations, Caitlin Henderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) is an invasive weed of major concern in both agricultural and native areas. It competes against native plants, reduces crop production and quality, and causes significant costs in management and damages. Canada thistle can survive and spread through seeds, but primarily does so through its extensive root system, which causes the greatest management difficulties. There are several control methods for this invasive weed, herbicides are perhaps the most common and effective, however, they have limitations and negative consequences. Herbicide use near waterways is restricted and there are growing concerns of the development of herbicide …

Investigating Pyrethroid Insecticide Resistance In The Alfalfa Pest Insects Hypera Postica (Alfalfa Weevil) And Lygus Spp. (Lygus Bugs) In Utah Alfalfa Fields, Rosalie Sepesy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Chemical insecticides are commonly used to manage the damage to crops caused by agricultural pest insects. Reliance on insecticides for pest management has resulted in insecticide resistance in many insect species worldwide. Alfalfa weevils (Hypera postica) and lygus bugs (species within the genus, Lygus), are major pests to alfalfa hay and seed respectively and cause significant economic damage. The goal of this dissertation was screen Utah alfalfa fields for resistant alfalfa weevil and lygus bug populations, investigate genetic mutations that can influence resistance in alfalfa weevils, and establish which species of lygus bugs are present in Utah …

A Software Framework For Translating Onnx Models Onto The Lace-C3a Hardware, Shawn Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Modern computers are powerful, but they are not always efficient enough for small, low power systems like those used on satellites and scientific instruments. To solve this problem, engineers often turn to FPGAs—reconfigurable computer chips that can be customized to run specific tasks much faster and with far less energy than ordinary processors. However, finding the best possible design for an FPGA program is extremely difficult because there are millions of ways a design could be built, and only a small fraction of them actually perform well.

This thesis presents SNOW, a new framework that helps automate the search for …

Agricultural Practices’ Impact On Soil Health Indicators In Mid-South U.S. Crop Production Systems, Katherine Suzanne French

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soil health and regenerative agriculture are concepts gaining popularity across global agriculture systems. The effect of sustainable farming practices such as nutrient management, cover crops, adoption of no-tillage, and residue retention on crop yield, as well as environmental resilience, is increasingly being studied. This research aimed to evaluate the impacts of (i) cover cropping and nutrient management, and of (ii) soil sampling depth and timing on indicators of soil health in various mid-southern irrigated row crop systems. Soil health indicators like soil organic matter (SOM), carbon dioxide respiration (CDR), beta-glucosidase enzyme activity (BG), permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), and the soil …

Hyperspectral Indicators And Characterization Of Glyphosate-Induced Stress In Common Lambsquarters (Chenopodium Album L.), Mario Andrés Soto Valencia

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hyperspectral sensing enables detection of herbicide stress in weeds, but practical use requires strategies for redundancy control, rating variability management, and evaluator bias mitigation. This thesis evaluates common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) under glyphosate exposure, aiming to identify key wavelengths, construct vegetation indices, and improve injury modeling. Greenhouse experiments used dimensionality reduction methods (principal component analysis, Relief F, Bayesian discriminant analysis) to isolate 34 unique wavelengths from about 3,200 bands. Calibration data were collected 14 days after treatment (DAT) to support wavelength selection and model development, while data from 27 DAT were used for independent validation. Class comparisons across six statistically …

Transcriptomic And Contractile Adaptations In Skeletal Muscle In A Rodent Model Of Anorexia Nervosa, Oscar Armando Vicen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric disorder marked by severe chronic caloric restriction and is primarily diagnosed through psychological and behavioral symptoms. AN has the highest mortality of any psychiatric disorder with an increased risk of all-cause mortality. Many individuals with a history of AN experience incomplete recovery despite intervention treatment. Skeletal muscle molecular mechanisms under chronic energy deprivation remain poorly understood. PURPOSE: To investigate transcriptomic profiles of the gastrocnemius muscle following one month of a rodent model of AN. This study analyzed whether the molecular changes correlate with collected muscular force data to provide a comprehensive understanding of …

Ecological Elemental Homeostasis And Stoichiometric Shifts: Biotic Responses To Ionic And Viral Stress, Samuel Anthony Tooru Dias

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic activities are reshaping the elemental composition of freshwater ecosystems, often creating stoichiometric imbalances that influence the growth, physiology and interactions of aquatic organisms. Ecological stoichiometric theory (EST) provides a framework for examining these changes by linking organismal elemental regulation to broader ecosystem processes. While traditionally focused on elements, such as carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), emerging stressors highlight the need to expand this framework to be more elementally inclusive for the examination of novel interactions. My dissertation integrates abiotic (salinization) and biotic stressors (viral infection) into an EST framework to evaluate how these factors alter elemental regulation …

Broiler Responsiveness To Dietary Amino Acid Density In A Commercial Setting, Virginia Slick

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The majority of research assessing the amino acid responsiveness in broilers has been conducted in experimental designs utilizing pens that contain 12 to 25 birds with high replication. While this trial design is beneficial as a way to perform high replications with multiple treatments in a way that is both economically and spatially feasible, it may not accurately translate to a rearing environment more similar to that of commercial open floor housing. This research was conducted to determine if the effects of lysine driven amino acid density diets that have been found in the traditional floor pen setting correlate to …

Physics-Guided Strategies For Enhancing Neural Networks Trained With Limited Data, Jose Guadalupe Perez Zamora

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Deep neural networks excel at a wide range of processing tasks across various disciplines. However, the quantity and quality of data significantly impact network performance. In specialized domains, high-quality datasets are often difficult to gather, interpret, and curate for effective learning. Few-shot learning techniques, including transfer learning, data augmentation, and meta-learning, have emerged to address these constraints.

We propose three physics-guided strategies for enhancing neural networks trained with limited data: (1) combining existing models like LSTMs with Physics-Informed Neural Networks through two-branch architectures that merge their outputs, (2) deriving custom physics-informed data augmentation algorithms to expand limited datasets, and (3) …

Enduring Efffects Of Juvenile Fluoxetine Exposure On Serotonin Transporter Expression Within The Hippocampus And Prefrontal Cortex Of Male C57bl/6 Mice, Daniel Eduardo Calvo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Prescription rates of fluoxetine, the most dispensed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, have been rising among the juvenile population. Since adolescence is a critical developmental period in which the brain undergoes pruning, chronic increases in serotonin levels may lead to long-term neurobiological changes in brain regions responsible for emotional regulation. Thus, using mice as a model system, this thesis evaluated how adolescent fluoxetine exposure (AFE) influences the expression of serotonin transporters (SERT) in the adult hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. To do this, postnatal day (PD)-35 male C57BL/6 mice were administered with fluoxetine (250 mg/l in their drinking water) for 15 consecutive …

Advancing Trypanosoma Cruzi N-Myristoyltransferase As A Drug Target For Chagas Disease Through In Silico Discovery And Biochemical Evaluation, Diana Citlali González García

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Chagas disease remains one of the most persistent and neglected parasitic infections in the Americas, advancing silently through the intracellular replication of Trypanosoma cruzi amastigotes and the invasive spread of trypomastigotes. The survival of the parasite is critically reliant on protein N-myristoylation, a lipid modification catalyzed by N-myristoyltransferase (NMT). This dissertation aims to advance beyond prior studies by systematically investigating NMT inhibition across multiple biological levels, spanning from the characterization of the purified enzyme, through cellular infection models, to the global proteomic remodeling induced within the parasite, thereby evaluating TcNMT as a potential therapeutic vulnerability in T.cruzi.Recombinant TcNMT was expressed, …

Boxing The Shadow, Based On Some True Stories By Madskater Bohannon, Brad Haines

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Creative writing, as a therapeutic modality, delves into memory and confronts fragmented emotional and cognitive processes through the medium of written language. For me, this involves language exerting resistance against memory, physical form, and silence. Boxing the Shadow, a hybrid of memoir, flash nonfiction, poetry, graphic novel scripting, and playwriting, emerges from my experiences with moral injury, and the ongoing process of self-expression that challenges institutional structures. At its essence, writing is an act of survival: it renders visible the inarticulable, identifies the phantoms and specters that haunt, and finds a suitable form to accommodate memory's unreliability and the jaggedness …

The Misadventures Of Popcorn And Zelda, Lori Lynne Kullberg

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Value of Animal Protagonists for Young Readers in Children’s Literature. This series is about my rescue cat and dog, Popcorn and Zelda, who are brought together at different ages and stages of their life. Witnessing their sweet interaction, mischievous playfulness, and close bond, I am immediately provided the inspiration for the early reader series of my thesis, The Misadventures of Popcorn and Zelda. My animals offer a constant stream of entertainment in watching how they interact with not only one another, but with me, as well. Oftentimes, Popcorn and Zelda’s behavior mirrors how I think a person would act …