Digital Commons Network^™

Quantitative Analysis Of Protective Effect Of Resveratrol Against Nanoplastic-Induced Oxidative Stress, Bryan Gustafson

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Nanoplastics and microplastics are a growing ecological and health concern due to their widespread prevalence. The effects of these microscopic particles in biological systems primarily relate to their potential to produce reactive oxygen species and interactive effects with other cytotoxic agents. Of particular interest in this work is the effect on mammalian intestinal cells, due to the regular unintentional ingestion of micro- and nanoplastics in the normal western diet. In this study, Caco-2 cells were cultured and exposed to polystyrene particles in vitro as a simple model of the human digestive endothelium.

Resveratrol, a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound, has been …

Soil Organic Matter Processes From The Treetops To The Clay Particle: The Role Of Climate, Minerals, And Organic Matter Chemistry In Soil Carbon Accumulation And Stability, Jessica G. Murray

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Soils store more carbon than plants and the atmosphere, yet release ten times more carbon dioxide (CO₂) to the atmosphere than human activities each year. Small shifts in the balance of soil carbon storage and soil carbon emissions could make climate change less severe, by acting as a sink for the carbon plants pull from the atmosphere, or make climate change worse, by releasing even more planet-warming greenhouse gases. The processes governing whether soils store or release carbon depend on tiny soil microorganisms which convert plant carbon to soil organic matter, releasing CO₂ in the process. In …

Engineering Faculty Perceptions On Student-Use Of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gai) In Course Completion, Michaela Harper

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Computer science and engineering faculty often argue whether students should be allowed to use GAI tools, such as ChatGPT, or banned from using them for fear of decreasing learning and workforce quality. This research gathers and reports engineering and computer science faculty members’ perceptions, opinions, and recommendations for GAI use in higher education. Faculty members agree that these technologies are here to stay and must be understood to address GAI in college and university courses. However, their willingness to implement GAI into their courses varied based on prior experience in industry and with the technology itself. Those with very limited …

Interpreting Neural Networks For Particle Tracing In Fluid Simulation Ensembles: An Interactive Visualization Framework, Maanav Choubey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Understanding the internal mechanisms of neural networks, particularly Multi-Layer Perceptrons (MLP), is essential for their effective application in a variety of scientific domains. In particular, in the scientific visualization domain their adoption has recently shown to be a promising tool to predict particle trajectories in fluid dynamics simulation and aid the interactive visualization of flows. This research addresses the critical challenge of interpretability of such models.

While interpretability has been extensively explored in fields like computer vision and natural language processing, its application to time series data, particularly for particle tracing (or prediction of trajectories), has not garnered sufficient attention. …

Engineered Microalgae Cultivations Systems: Conversion Of Wastewater Nutrients Into Biofuels And Bioplastics, Jacob Watkins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Dissolved Nitrogen and Phosphorus in wastewater can contribute to harmful algae blooms if released into the environment. One technology that can be used to recover dissolved nutrients from wastewater is the Rotating Algae Biofilm Reactor (RABR), which supports microalgae growth in an easily-harvested biofilm and produces nitrogenand phosphorus-rich biomass that can be used to produce slow-release fertilizers, biofuels, and compostable bioplastics. This thesis (1) examines the effects of several environmental factors on the biomass production rate and nutrient removal efficiency of RABRs treating municipal wastewater, (2) quantifies the composition and biofuel yields of microalgae biomass cultivated using a RABR at …

Maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences And Non-Live Births, Mudasir Mustafa

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Around 62 percent of adults in the United States have endured at least one type of Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE), and 25 percent of women reported experiencing three or more ACEs in their lifetime. This study explored whether maternal exposure to ACEs was associated with pregnancy loss or abortion, utilizing the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (known as Add Health) to explore this association. I found that cumulative ACEs, assessed through either the conventional ACE scale (reflecting 10 types of ACEs) or the extended ACE scale (reflecting 14 types of ACEs), are associated with a higher likelihood …

Metabolic Capabilities Of Latilactobacillus Curvatus And The Potential Use As An Adjunct Culture For Food Safety And Quality Control In Yogurt, R. Chase Wahlstrom

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In the quest for healthier and more natural food products, using beneficial lactic acid bacteria to preserve food, known as biopreservation, is becoming increasingly important. This research focused on a strain of beneficial bacteria called Latilactobacillus curvatus and its ability to inhibit fungal growth both in lab settings and in a yogurt system. This has the potential to enhance the safety and quality of dairy products.

We studied a specific strain of this bacteria, named WSU-1, found in dairy. Through detailed analysis, we discovered that this strain could produce substances that may help protect food from harmful microbes. In laboratory …

Moose Movement In An Urbanizing Landscape, Lucian R. Mcdonald

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Humans disturb the environment in specific places and at specific times. As wildlife learn to navigate these disturbances, they react as they would to the risk of predation. Wildlife biologists can identify where and when these disturbances will lead wildlife to congregate by comparing geospatial data, such as metrics that represent vegetation, topography, or other environmental conditions, to known locations of the animal(s) in question. In Chapter I, I discuss the impact of human disturbances, like urbanization and roads, on wildlife behavior. In Chapter II, I compare the risk of moose-vehicle collisions (MVCs) to moose selection of urbanized landscapes to …

Agriculture In The Urbanizing Chesapeake Bay Watershed: Views On Water Quality, Agricultural-Related Conflicts, And The Adoption Of Nutrient Management Plans, Edem Avemegah

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This dissertation analyzes Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW) agriculture by exploring residents' views on water quality issues, agriculture-related conflict, and farmers' adoption of nutrient management plans. The following questions were asked: What is the level of concern among non-agricultural and agricultural residents about water quality issues in local streams and waterways and the CBW, and to whom do the two groups attribute water quality problems? What are nonfarming residents' and farmers' levels of support for various interventions outlined in previous research on water quality issues in local streams and waterways and the CBW? What is the level of nonfarming residents' and …

Investigating The Biochemical Aspects Of Meat Tenderness, Chandler D. Stafford

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Of all the attributes that define beef's eating quality, tenderness stands out as one of the most important. Previous studies have shown that consumers are willing to pay a premium for beef that is guaranteed to be more tender and are more likely to purchase that product repeatedly. Yet, due to the influence of numerous internal and external factors, controlling and predicting tenderness remains to be difficult. However, among these factors, meat aging is the primary contributor to end-product tenderness, as it is recognized for breaking down muscle tissue via enzymes present within the muscle. The activity of these enzymes …

Analysis Of An Outdoor Pilot-Scale Rotating Algae Biofilm Reactor For Power Optimization, Ash-Enhanced Productivity, And Nutrient Uptake, Peter F. Jeppesen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Outdoor testing of a rotating algae biofilm reactor (RABR) was performed to see how well it could remove nutrients from water and produce algae. By adjusting the operation settings, we found the lowest power needed to remove nitrogen and phosphorus. The lowest power values needed were 1.36 kWh per kilogram of nitrogen and 20.1 kWh per kilogram of phosphorus. The algae production rate reached a maximum of 7.09 grams per square meter per day. Detailed analysis showed that the reactor worked like a continuous flow system, and the performance was influenced by factors including light and temperature. The results also …

Development Of A Multidimensional Index Of Fall Risk For Older Adults: The Cache County Study, Alexandra G. Hammond

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

One out of four adults over the age of 65 are estimated to fall each year in the U.S. alone, with that number expected to rise to 52 million falls per year by the year 2030. Improving accuracy for identification of older adults at a higher risk of falling is increasingly important and may be integral in informing the distribution of limited resources and assist in preventing falls in older adults. This project examined the relationship between previously identified risk factors and fall risk to create multidimensional fall risk indexes for older adults, specific for each sex.

Factors best associated …

Ecological Interactions Of Cougars, Deer, And Wild Pigs In The Central Coast Range, California, Mitchell A. Parsons

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Wild pigs are an introduced species in the Americas that negatively affect ecosystems in many ways. Previous research has documented their negative effects on water quality and vegetation and their potential to spread disease among wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. However, how wild pigs affect predator-prey interactions between native wildlife has received little attention. This research explores multiple interactions between wild pigs, a native predator (cougars), and a native prey (black-tailed deer). First, I studies cougar diet to understand how frequently pigs are used as prey. During this project, I also placed wildlife cameras at cougar killed prey to monitor …

Exploring Resilience: Insights From The Western U.S. Drink Tourism Industry During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Camillo Salvi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

COVID-19 harmed the resilience of the United States tourism industry, undermining its economic stability. Specifically, the drink tourism sector was negatively affected by the pandemic due to its heavy reliance on consumer demand. Enhancing the ability to withstand, recover, and adapt to changing conditions is fundamental to promoting financial development and economic growth. This study aims to explore the determinants of resilience within this industry, focusing on wineries, breweries, and distilleries in the western United States during 2020 and 2021. Through a survey-based analysis, we identified what factors impacted their resilience and how these influenced the drink tourism domain, thereby …

From Pasture To Plate: Striking An Omega Balance Between Grass-Fed And Grain-Fed Beef Ribeyes - Fatty Acid Composition, Minerals, Soil, And Forage Analysis, Travis Earl Statham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Most beef cattle in the US are feedlot-finished where intensive feeding of grains is used to increase weight and yield; however, a minority are raised in grass-fed operations that use exclusive pasture, rangeland, and hay for feeding, possibly leading to benefits for the land, soil, ecosystems, forages, and the meat itself. These operations use a variety of methods, and the goal of this was to recognize differences in the soil and forage metrics to help understand the resulting meat fatty acid composition and mineral content. We collected these samples from 78 sets of farmers while testing 25 sets of grain-fed …

Immune Variation Across Different Contexts In Non-Model Systems, Kwanho Claudia Ki

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The immune system is important to an animal’s survival against disease-causing agents and physical injuries. Accordingly, many resources are required to maintain and activate the immune system (such as energy). However, as these resources also need to be shared with other important systems of the body, the portion of resources that can be allotted to the immune system is variable. Thus, many different factors may alter how well the immune system operates. My dissertation sought to understand what sorts of factors can lead to changes in the immune system. Reptiles are known to have a very robust immune system. Therefore, …

Genomic Selection For Dwarf Bunt Resistance In Winter Wheat, William Krause

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Dwarf bunt (DB), caused by the pathogen Tilletia controversa J.G. Kühn [as 'contraversa'], is a fungal disease that poses yield and grain quality risks to winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) production in the Intermountain West and abroad. The infection replaces the grain with a collection of spores that are spread by wind during the following harvest. In addition to wheat, DB also infects other cereal grains and wild grasses. Genomic selection (GS) is a plant breeding method that can determine percent infection of related varieties by using phenotypic data and genetic data within a prediction model. A panel …

Designing Technology-Enriched Learning Environments: The Effects Of An Agent-Based Computer Model On Biology Students' Understanding Of The Covid-19 Pandemic And The Nature Of Models In Science, April Sullivan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Science education researchers have called for increased attention to the science practice of modeling to engage students in authentic scientific inquiry. A major challenge to integrating the modeling practice into science instruction is that students tend to conceptualize models as static end-products of research rather than generative tools for theory-building. Engaging students in using computer models, specifically agent-based computer models (ABMs), to explain and predict scientific phenomena could improve students' understanding of models in science. In this design-based research project I investigate the effects of an ABM-supported learning environment on high-school biology students' understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic and the …

Are Universities Adequately Preparing Undergraduate Students For Careers As Professional Wildlife Biologists?, Trevon D. Strange

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The demands for diversely skilled wildlife biologists and scientific researchers in the wildlife profession are projected to increase. Increasing urbanization has affected wildlife management, and the recruitment of future wildlife professionals. Thus, state and federal supervisors in agencies that hire wildlife professionals are concerned that recent graduates of university wildlife programs lack the necessary skill-sets to address these complex contemporary wildlife management issues. My research sought to identify where the educational performance gaps may exist between university wildlife programs, wildlife agencies, and student expectations. To conduct my research, I evaluated undergraduate wildlife curricula offered by 42 accredited universities listed on …

Responses Of Medical Cannabis To Daily Light Integrals Higher Than Summer Sunlight: Yield, Morphology, And Quality, James D. Nielson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Cannabis sativa L. is a crop with growing medical and commercial significance. However, cannabis is not as well studied or understood as many of the most common crops. A novel area of research surrounds how much light the plant can tolerate or use to keep increasing flower yield. In agriculture, light intensity is often measured by how many light particles interact with a given area in a second, referred to as photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD). For example, at Utah State University in Logan, Utah, during the peak of summer, the sun's light intensity can reach about 2000 μmol·m^{-2 …}

Adolescent Mental Health And Social Media: The Roles Of Psychosocial Development And Online Interaction, Mark L. Ferguson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Social media has become an integral part of adolescent life, and its effects on adolescents’ mental health has been studied for over twenty years. However, the research approaches used to discover connections between adolescent social media use and their mental health have been diverse, and findings have varied over time. This study sought to explore the potential relationships between adolescent social media use and mental health by including several different variables that aren’t typically accounted for in the same study, such as attachment to parents and peers, internal psychological development, emotional intensity towards social media use, and how adolescents feel …

Multidecadal Data Demonstrate The Role Of Climate And Natural History Traits In Shaping Butterfly Phenology, Gbolahan Anthony Reis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Climate change is transforming the natural world, altering the timing of key events in the lives of plants and animals, such as when flowers bloom or when butterflies take flight. These timing changes, known as phenology shifts, can disrupt ecosystems and species interactions, creating ripple effects through food webs and biodiversity. While scientists have studied these shifts for decades, much of the focus has been on simple metrics, like the first or last day a butterfly is seen flying each year. However, these measures do not tell the whole story of how climate change is impacting the entire flight season …

Mathematical And Statistical Methods To Harness Limited Data In Models For Ecological Space Use Under Global Change, Sarah C. Bogen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The dynamics of how plants and animals use space in their habitats has important implications for the fields of ecology and conservation. However, understanding and responding to these spatial and temporal dynamics is often limited by data availability, financial resources and biases. As average global temperatures increase, suitable habitats shift poleward and require local populations to move with suitable habitat, adapt to the changing environment, or risk extinction. Capacity to persist without movement may be estimated by considering changes to a combination of habitat characteristics. Capacity to track suitable habitat may be modeled through synthesizing information on species demographic mechanisms …

Morphological Changes Of Liver Among Post-Fontan Surgery Patients, Varatharajan Nainamalai, Håvard Bjørke Jenssen, Khadiza Tun Suha, Mostafa Rezaeitaleshmahalleh, Min Wang, Sarah Khan, Marcus Haw, Jingfeng Jiang, Joseph Vettukattil

Michigan Tech Publications

Purpose: Liver screening and longitudinal study of Fontan Associated Liver Diseases (FALD) is essential to identifying hepatomegaly and how hepatomegaly relates to various stages of liver fibrosis. In this study, we investigated longitudinal liver shape changes and liver stiffness in a cohort of patients with Fontan Associated Liver Disease. Methods: We used 170 image volumes of 40 Fontan stage 3 completion patients. We also used 65 computed tomography images of healthy individuals from three datasets for comparison. Thirteen radiomic shape features of Fontan patients and individuals with a healthy liver were extracted and analyzed longitudinally. We studied correlations among features, …

Viking And Native North American Interactions: The Spread Of Disease In The Norse Discovery Of North America, Sarah N. Haughawout

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This paper evaluates the potential for spread of disease in the Norse and Native North American interactions around 1000 CE. At this time, the Vikings were expanding their territory in search of land and natural resources following the Viking Raids in mainland Europe. They traveled to Iceland, then Greenland, and finally the eastern coast of northern Canada. Norse explorers faced numerous obstacles on their journeys, but they still prospered in North America for a time. The Vikings hunted the land and sea mammals, used the land, and found ways to thrive while having hostile relations and contact with the Native …

Mechanical Stability Of Body-Centered Cubic Iron At Earth's Core Pressure And Temperature Conditions Using A Molecular Graph Kernel Regression And Gaussian Process., Blaise Awola Ayirizia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

We used machine learning to study nonmagnetic BCC iron in conditions similar to thosefound in the Earthâ??s core. Our model predicts the stability of BCC iron at high temperatures and pressures by analyzing a dataset from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The framework uses Gaussian process regression to make predictions by comparing the similarity between molecules. This comparison is made using the marginalized graph kernel. To use the marginalized graph kernel, the framework applies a spatial adjacency rule to convert molecules into graphs, where the vertices and edges are labeled by elements and interatomic distances, respectively. We can use this …

Evolutionary History Of A Specialized And Diverse Highland Snake Complex (Crotalus Willardi), Michael Joseph Buontempo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Ridgenosed rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi) is a highly unique group of small rattlesnakes consisting of 5 subspecies that inhabit the high elevation pine oak woodlands of the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Madrean Archipelago. They remain one of the most understudied groups of rattlesnakes with little understanding of the relationships between the subspecies. I utilize genomic level genetic data collected using ddRAD-seq methodology on 60 individuals encompassing all 5 subspecies and the majority of the range. Utilizing co-ancestry analysis, Admixture, and Phylogenetic analyses (both maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches) we uncovered seven separate genetic groups. Of these, three consisted of …

Seasonal Abundances Of Aedes Aegypti And Culex Quinquefasciatus In An Urban Community In The Texas/Mexico Border, Kevyn Amezcua

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

AAedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus are two medically relevant species of mosquitoes that can transmit several arboviruses that affect human health. Ae. aegypti is a vector for viral diseases such as Dengue, Yellow Fever, Chikungunya, and Zika, while Cx. quinquefasciatus is a vector for West Nile and Saint Louis Encephalitis. Both species are mostly found in urban environments and are affected by several anthropogenic factors such as the presence of artificial containers and overall changes to the native landscape. Little research is done on the ecology of these two species in the Chihuahuan desert, which has some areas that are …

The Journey And Lived Experience Of Dropout, Hispanic, Teen Fathers, Patricia Ann Cuevas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The dropout phenomenon in the United States is an ongoing concern, especially regarding teen fathers. The purpose of this qualitative phenological study was to examine how Hispanic men who fathered a child as adolescent understood and made sense of their lived experiences of dropping out of high school and later returning to their studies. Semi-structured interviews were utilized to gather the data. An analysis of the findings was conducted, revealing the themes of emotional distress, expectations, hard lessons, and the impact of fatherhood. The themes were then applied to the theorical framework of Sensemaking. The results revealed that the participants …

Geotechnical Aspects Of Extraterrestrial Regolith Simulants, Jesus Baca

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Geotechnical engineering has been crucial to the success of construction projects on Earth, and now it is time to extend this expertise to other celestial bodies. As NASA planned the Apollo missions, geotechnical engineers conducted extensive studies to understand the properties of lunar soil, using analogs like volcanic ash and other terrestrial materials to simulate the moon's surface. Nevertheless, it was not until the inception of the year 1968 that the Surveyor landers were able to give the first actual estimates of the moon soil geotechnical characteristics such as bearing capacity, void ratio, etc. With the development of more refined …