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Root Uptake Of Organic Contaminants Into Plants: Species Differences, Naho Orita

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Xenobiotic organic contaminants are widely found in the environment, including soils, sediments, surface waters, wastewater streams, and even in drinking water. Food chain contamination resulting from the uptake of these contaminants by plants is a concern. Although the uptake of a variety of xenobiotic organic contaminants by plants has been reported but the differences between plant species are not fully understood. The emphasis of this thesis research is to further investigate the unique root to shoot transfer ability of “gold rush” zucchini that has been reported repeatedly in recent years.

A pressure chamber technique was used to measure transpiration stream …

Numerical And Experimental Study Of Anisotropic Effective Thermal Conductivity Of Particle Beds Under Uniaxial Compression, Jingwen Mo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Planetary heat flow is of great interests to planetary scientists, which can be used to determine the history and current status of pianetary bodies. Thermal conductivities of planetary bodies are generally measured using long needle-like probes inserted into planet's surface, which measure the horizontal effective thermal conductivity (parallel to the planetary surface). The vertical effective thermal conductivity (perpendicular to the planetary surface), used for heat flow calculation, is assumed to be the same as the horizontal effective thermal conductivity. However, ETC of particle beds is known to be an anisotropic property under low compressive pressures.

The objective of this study …

"Worlds Without End": The Cosmological Theodicy Of Brigham Young, James Chase Kirkham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis proposes an analysis of the teachings of Brigham Young, second President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The study focuses on Young’s more striking doctrine—namely, the eternal nature of matter, the capability of humans to live after death where they would eternally gain knowledge, a universe governed by a race of exalted human beings called gods, and the potential for humans, upon reaching the status of gods and goddesses, to create planets and populate them with their children.

This study uses a three-fold method to understand why some of Young’s teachings were so remarkable. First, …

A History Of The Development Of Charter School Legislation In Utah, Marlies Burns

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Utah Legislature enacted charter school legislation in 1998 in order to offer the state's first school-choice option. The legislation came following a task force discussion about the pros and cons of school choice and what school choice should look like in Utah. There was not agreement among task force constituents about what should be contained in the legislation, nor which entity should be responsible for the monitoring or oversight of the eight pilot charter schools.

Since enactment, Utah charter school legislation has changed during most legislative sessions with some establishing stronger charter school laws and some establishing weaker ones. …

Continental-Scale Characterization Of Molecular Variation In Quaking Aspen, Colin M. Callahan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Quaking aspen has the largest natural distribution of any tree native to North America, ranging from Alaska through the breadth of Canada and south to mid-Mexico. Recent studies suggest a general decline of aspen throughout much of the range since at least the mid-20th century, though these findings remain inconclusive. Regardless, factors such as climate change, periods of drought, soil nutrient deficiencies, pathogens, insects, and encroachment by other tree species all pose risks to the health and maintenance of aspen across the continent. This situation is exemplified in the western United States where climate change is forecasted to have an …

The Role Of Educational Attainment In Migration Probability And Destination Selection For The Metropolitan Rust Belt, 1980-2000, Paul D. Jacobs

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The metropolitan Rust Belt has long been recognized as the industrial center of the United States. By the year 2000 many Rust Belt residents were leaving these industrial metropolitan areas for other parts of the country. My research looks to examine how deindustrialization triggers out migration in selected industrial metropolitan areas as well as how migrants are selected by educational attainment. Following this analysis, I examine proximate measures of social capital compared to educational attainment to determine which factors are most important for interregional migration decisions.

Using census data for 1980, 1990, and 2000, I find that higher levels of …

Agreement Of Peer Comparison Data Between Direct Behavior Rating Scales And Systematic Direct Observation Methods, Elizabeth Ashley Popescue

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Elizabeth Popescue, M.A. and Donna Gilbertson, Ph.D. at Utah State University (USU) propose to evaluate how a new type of tool to measure classwide behavior in a
school classroom compares to the current gold-standard tool. They will coordinate with undergraduate professors teaching psychology classes to be able to videotape classrooms of students to use as subjects to observe behavior with the different types of tools. The advantage of the new tool is the reduced amount of effort and time it takes to collect the behaviors observed. This could lead to a more efficient way for school personnel to collect data …

The Effects Of The Political Landscape On Social Movement Organization Tactical Choices, Jennifer Marie Swalboski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis examines the tactics used by organizations in Minnesota and Utah pursuing rights and protections for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community. Minnesota and Utah provided good examples of LGBT movements that are pursuing moderate goals such as anti-discrimination or anti-bullying legislation. Minnesota movement organizations operate in a political context that offers a relative balance of political party power and diverse religious, racial and ethnic groups. By contrast, Utah represents a very conservative political context in which Republicans have completely dominated both the legislative and executive branches for decades. Utah also has a very monolithic culture which …

Experimental Studies Of Vertical Mixing In An Open Channel Raceway For Algae Biofuel Production, Ram Sudheer Voleti

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The USU BioEnergy Center has been successful in developing algae feedstocks for renewable biofuels and bioproducts. The concept is to utilize and maximize algae feedstocks for liquid transportation fuels, biomass for burning and digestion, and high value co-products. It is theorized that increasing the mixing in open and closed algal production systems improves the productivity of the algae culture. A raceway cultivation system was chosen to examine the phenomena of mixing. Vertical mixing will provide more uniform exposure to sunlight for all of the algae in the raceway. The main focus of this research was to increase vertical mixing. Delta …

Unified Rating Equations For Cutthroat Flumes Derived From A Three-Dimensional Hydraulic Model, Sathaporn Temeepattanapongsa

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A sophisticated mathematical model of three-dimensional hydraulics was used to develop complete calibrations for Cutthroat flumes, which are structures used in canals (or “open channels”) to measure flow rates. Although Cutthroat flumes have been used for many years, and much research has been done on their calibrations and application in the field, never before was there a complete set of calibration parameters for all 24 standard flume sizes. This research was validated by previously published laboratory results on prototype flumes at Utah State University and elsewhere, and it was successful in generating accurate calibration parameters for all 24 flume sizes, …

Sigtree: An Automated Meta-Analytic Approach To Find Significant Branches In A Phylogenetic Tree, Todd R. Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An experiment was performed on two groups of mice, the first group receiving a refined wheat diet, and the second group receiving a whole wheat diet. The levels of abundance of hundreds of bacteria in the guts of the mice were measured. Of interest was whether the levels of these bacteria were different depending on type of diet. In addition, it was desired to examine differences by diet in all of the families of bacteria. These family relationships are represented in a tree, and it was determined helpful to color the branches of this tree based on the differences of …

Characterization Of The Involvement Of Integrins, Focal Adhesion Kinase, And Phospholipase C Enzymes Endogenous To The Oocyte In Bovine Fertilization And Oocyte Activation, Benjamin Rand Sessions

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Center for Integrated Biosystems (CIB) and Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences (ADVS) Department at Utah State University propose a multi-year molecular study of cattle gamete interactions to improve our basic understanding of fertilization. The CIB and ADVS will utilize existing collaborations in addition to recruiting state and federal funding sources to complete the extensive project.

Various laboratory techniques will be used to discover the molecular players of fertilization in hopes of shedding light on a variety of human infertility issues due to problems at the gamete level. A more complete understanding of fertilization could also lead to the development …

Value Of Information In Design Of Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network Under Uncertainty, Abdelhaleem I. Khader

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Due to variations in rainfall and limited surface water resources, groundwater is considered the main source for freshwater in many places throughout the word. But this precious resource is being jeopardized by pollution from human activities such as: industry, agriculture, and untreated wastewater, which highlight the need for efficient groundwater resources management. To be efficient, groundwater resources management requires efficient access to reliable information that can be acquired through monitoring. On the other hand, the complicated nature of groundwater aquifers and the uncertainties in the data and the models used to understand the aquifer and its behavior require more powerful …

A Study On Conformal Antenna Solutions For Cube Satellites, Maryam Jamali

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This master's thesis presents a study on two types of conformal antennas for the use on cube satellites (CubeSats). The two antenna solutions are including slot and microstrip patch antennas. CubeSats have been one of the most important vehicles for space exploration due to their small sizes and very low payload. At the same time, a challenge rises when allocating extremely limited surface real estate to space instrument, solar cells, and antennas. The most effective solution for such a challenge is to design antennas such that they do not block solar cells or compete for space with solar cells. Accordingly, …

Late Adolescents’ Perceptions Of A Digital Generation Gap And Perceived Parent-Child Relations, J. Mitch Vaterlaus

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The primary objective of this study was to determine if late adolescents (18-25 year olds) perceived differences between their own knowledge about interactive technology and what they thought their parents knew about the same technology. Secondly, the study sought to understand how differences in these perceived technology were related to adolescent perceptions about their interactions with their parents. The parent-child relationship characteristics of interest in this study were parent-child quality time, parent-child conflict, and parents’ knowledge of their childrens’ behaviors.

Late adolescents did perceive generational differences in technology knowledge in the areas of video chat, cell phones, general social networking, …

Asian College Students’ Perceived Peer Group Cohesion, Cultural Identity, And College Adjustment, Xin Zhao

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Although there has been an increased focus on multicultural research of college adjustment, Asian students’ adjustment is still a major concern that is under studied. Asian students, like other minority students, may be experiencing difficulties such as changes in family expectations and support, acculturation, ethnic identity issues, intergenerational conflict, immigration status, and racism and discriminatory treatment. Successfully adjusting to changes encountered during college requires the use of effective coping techniques, such as social support, to help relieve the stress. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between perceived cohesion and university-based peer group’s college adjustment of Asian …

Effects Of Single Panel Replacement Of A Full-Scale, Full-Depth, Precast Concrete Bridge Deck System, Jason Robert Perry

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The use of precast concrete deck panels is becoming increasingly popular for bridge construction and rehabilitation in the state of Utah and across the country. It allows for the use of full depth concrete deck panels but removes the long construction times of traditional cast-in-place methods. One of the challenges to the use of precast deck panels is the transverse deck panel joints that exist between the panels. These joints are unreinforced using traditional methods and therefore are the weakest section of the bridge. In many situations the joint will fail and water seeps through and can damage the bridge …

Genetic Characterization Of Fine-Leaved Festuca Valesiaca Germplasm And Evaluation Of Their Relationship To The Festuca Ovina Complex, Yingmei Ma

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fine-leaved Festuca valesiaca has stress tolerance. However, its agronomic performance in the western United States and its genetic relationship to species of the Festuca ovina complex has not been investigated. Also, natural hybridization makes them difficult to identify. Given the species' potentials, our project was designed to identify Festuca valesiaca accessions that possess high biomass and seed yield and to examine their relatedness with the Festuca ovina complex.

The Festuca valesiaca accessions examined produced many small seeds. Seed production was correlated with the total biomass, plant height, and plant vigor. The Festuca valesiaca accessions examined were shorter than the control …

An Evaluation Of An E-Learning Training Course To Teach Instructors To Implement Discrete Trial Teaching, Joy S. Pollard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As the rates of autism are continuing to increase each year, it is imperative that we are able to train teachers to work with these children. Training teachers to use effective teaching strategies can be a time consuming endeavor and is challenging because schools may not have the resources to hire an expert trainer to provide this training. A solution may be to use e-learning. This would allow teachers in rural areas the ability to access the training, while also providing a cost-savings to school districts. The current study evaluated an e-learning training course, which is a multi-media computer-based training, …

The Use Of Life History Collage To Explore Learning Related To The Enactment Of Social Consciousness In Female Nonprofit Leaders, Susan R. Seymour

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This paper advances a novel qualitative research approach using life history collage. Rather that utilizing an interview protocol to enter into a participant’s story, life history collage invites participants to create a longitudinal collage of significant life events around a theme such as learning, relationships, or identity. The longitudinal nature of the collage situates and prioritizes significant life events with images, words, and elements chosen to represent events and circumstances. Each image within the collage contains rich and nuanced storylines that invite exploration by both researcher and participant. Meanings and subtexts are revealed as participants describe their collage and the …

Unintentional Home Injury Risks Among The Elderly In Southern Nevada, Michelle Echauz Ching

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The elderly population (65 years of age and older) is one of the fastest growing populations in the US. A major public health concern involving the elderly population is unintentional injuries in the home. Since elderly adults typically spend the majority of their time in the home, minimizing unintentional home injury hazards is crucial for this population. The Nevada Healthy Homes Partnership (NHHP) program is a grant funded effort that helps to improve the quality and availability of safe and healthy homes in Nevada. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the NHHP program interventions …

Numerical And Experimental Investigation Of The Stability Region For A Cylindrical Ion Trap, Bradley Steven Clarke

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The stability diagram provides a useful tool for determining the appropriate AC biased potential to confine ions in an ion trap. Since no analytic solution exists for the cylindrical ion trap's (CIT's) equations of motion, the CIT's stability region is not well known. The objective of this thesis is to determine the stability region for a CIT numerically and experimentally. The equations of motion for ions confined in a CIT are derived and found to be similar to the Mathieu equation, i.e. the equation that describes ion motion in a hyperbolic ion trap (HIT). Because of the similarities in the …

Effect Of Gingival Margin Design On Retention Of Thermoformed Orthodontic Aligners, Daniel P. Cowley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The aim of this study was evaluate the effect of gingival margin design (scalloped vs. straight cut at gingival zenith vs. straight cut 2mm above gingival zenith) on the retention of thermoformed aligners. Retention of aligners is a critical requirement for efficient tooth movement.

Methods: Two thermoform aligner materials were used, Invisacryl A and Invisacryl C, in 0.040 mil (1mm) thickness. Six aligner designs were fabricated for each of the two aligner materials (12 total aligner designs). Aligner designs are scalloped, straight cut at gingival zenith (0mm), and straight cut 2mm above gingival zenith on a model with attachments. …

A Survey Of Classical And Recent Results In Bin Packing Problem, Yoga Jaideep Darapuneni

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the classical bin packing problem one receives a sequence of n items 1, 2,..., n with sizes s1, s2, . . . ,sn where each item has a fixed size in (0, 1]. One needs to find a partition of the items into sets of size1, called bins, so that the number of sets in the partition is minimized and the sum of the sizes of the pieces assigned to any bin does not exceed its capacity. This combinatorial optimization problem which is NP hard has many variants as well as online and offline versions of the problem. Though …

Language Of Instruction Policies: Discourse And Power, Katherine Ann Dockweiler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study identified the control structures and power relationships that exist in four state language of instruction policies using a neo-institutional and postmodern framework. Policies selected include two states with English-only instruction and two states without. Critical discourse analysis was applied in three phases (individual case, within-group, between group) using a Layers of Analysis Framework. Three key findings emerged. First, policy discourse has the potential to positively or negatively impact students. Second, issues of control and power emerge when misalignments exist between the state and society. Third, discourse style alone does not dictate a state's relationship to society. Recommendations include …

Effects Of Moisture Augmentation Of Municipal Solid Waste Through Addition Of Food Waste Or Wastewater Treatment Biosolids On Bio-Gas Formation For Power Generation, Jared Michael Gore

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

An investigation into the effect of moisture augmentation by manipulation of food waste proportion or wastewater treatment plant biosolids proportion was undertaken to determine the effects on production of methane and other biogases from municipal solid waste (MSW). Laboratory microcosm experiments were performed to determine the effect of various proportions of influent waste streams on the production of biogas. Results indicated that moisture augmentation through the addition of food waste to MSW increases the overall bio-gas and hydrogen gas formed during fermentation. Moisture augmentation through addition of wastewater treatment bio-solids lead to inconclusive results. Addition of food waste to MSW …

Degree Constrained Triangulation, Roshan Gyawali

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Triangulation of simple polygons or sets of points in two dimensions is a widely investigated problem in computational geometry. Some researchers have considered variations of triangulation problems that include minimum weight triangulation, de-launay triangulation and triangulation refinement. In this thesis we consider a constrained version of the triangulation problem that asks for triangulating a given domain (polygon or point sites) so that the resulting triangulation has an increased number of even degree vertices. This problem is called Degree Constrained Triangulation (DCT). We propose four algorithms to solve DCT problems. We also present experimental results based on the implementation of the …

Blurring Boundaries: Mexican-American Border Patrol Agents Performing Border Guard Roles And Experiencing Emotional Labor, Aaron Hockman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As of 2008 the Border Patrol (BP) consisted of an unprecedented Hispanic majority due to heavy recruiting efforts among bilingual Mexican-American populations. Within the Mexico-U.S. border region where opportunities are otherwise limited a career with the BP provides the prospect of upward class mobility. This thesis explores the subjective experiences of seven Mexican-American BP agents from the El Paso Sector, ethnographically examining how they manage emotions to perform border guard roles. I argue that participants' subjective experiences offer insight into the larger structural forces that constrain role performance, the meaning of American identity, and the boundaries that prejudice division over …

Cyberbullying Policy In Public Schools, Alison Humphries

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Many schools and school districts have had direct experience with the negative psychological effects of cyberbullying in their schools, ranging from high profile suicides to lower profile incidents that affect the ability of students to receive an education. Federal, state, and local regulations, as well as mandates from state educational agencies, require schools and school districts to address cyberbullying. Experts advocate that schools play a major role in addressing cyberbullying with anti-bullying policies in general and anti-cyberbullying policies in particular. This study presents case study portraits of two exemplary school districts, with a comparison to similar school districts, suggesting that …

Utilization Of A Metabolic Syndrome Index In Evaluating The Life In Balance Lifestyle Intervention For Prevention Of Type 2 Diabetes Among Urban American Indians And Alaska Natives, Hongbin Jin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: A myriad of diabetes prevention programs modeled on the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) are carried out worldwide to fight against the current diabetes pandemic. The percentage of weight reduction is a widely used indicator to evaluate diabetes prevention programs. However, weight change alone may not fully reflect the efficacy of lifestyle intervention. A metabolic syndrome index is a promising novel scale for evaluation of diabetes prevention programs because it is a systematic, comprehensive, and stable indicator that reflects the metabolic risk reduction for diabetes and its complications at multiple levels and dimensions.

Methods: A total of 22 overweight and …