Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Discrete Time Series Forecasting In Non-Invasive Monitoring Of Managed Honey Bee Colonies: Part Ii: Are Hive Weight And In-Hive Temperature Seasonal And Colony-Specific, Vladimir A. Kulyukin, Aleksey V. Kulyukin, William G. Meikle

Computer Science Faculty and Staff Publications

We explored the stationarity, trend, and seasonality of the hive weight and in-hive temperature of ten managed honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies at a research apiary of the Carl Hayden Bee Research Center in Tucson, Arizona, USA. The hives were monitored with electronic scales and in-hive temperature sensors from June to October 2022. The weight and temperature were recorded every five minutes around the clock. The collected data were curated into 2160 timestamped weight and 2160 timestamped temperature observations. We performed a systematic autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) time series analysis to answer three fundamental questions: (a) Does …

Deep Learning For Absorption-Image Analysis, Jacob Morrey, Isaac Peterson, Robert H. Leonard, Joshua M. Wilson, Francisco Fonta, Matthew B. Squires, Spencer E. Olson

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

The quantum state of ultracold atoms is often determined through measurement of the spatial distribution of the atom cloud. Absorption imaging of the cloud is regularly used to extract this spatial information. Accurate determination of the parameters which describe the spatial distribution of the cloud is crucial to the success of many ultracold atom applications. In this work, we present modified deep learning image classification models for image regression. To overcome challenges in data collection, we train the model on simulated absorption images. We compare the performance of the deep learning models to least-squares techniques and show that the deep …

Detecting Ionospheric Disturbances Using High Frequency Coastal Radar Transmissions From The West Coast Of The United States, Riley N. Troyer, Kenneth Obenberger, Michael Negale, Eugene Dao, Zsolt Balint, Eric Burnside, Kris Robinson, Jeffrey M. Holmes, Pavel Inchin, Jonathan Snively

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Coastal radar system are located around the world and many happen to transmit at frequencies capable of skywave propagation via the ionosphere. Therefore, they can be detected hundreds to thousands of kilometers away. This paper demonstrates the opportunity to detect 39 Coastal Ocean Dynamics Application Radar transmitters located on the western coast of the United States using three HF radio receivers in Utah and New Mexico. It also illustrates the possibility to use the phase and Doppler measurements of these signals to derive displacements of the refracting ionospheric layer up to meter resolution for the 2023 annular solar eclipse, an …

Barrier Removal Is A Strategy For Climate Resilience, Sarah E. Null, William Bosen, Gregory Goodrum

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Millions of dams and in-stream barriers have been built worldwide to manage water supply, reduce flood risk, generate hydropower, and support recreation, navigation, and road infrastructure. The National Aquatic Barrier Inventory estimates over 550,000 dams and over 298,000 road-related barriers that fragment streams in the United States¹. As dams age and as droughts and floods become more intense, some dams and barriers have become problems, for example, by outliving their useful life, presenting safety concerns to communities, and impacting ecosystems, especially in a changing climate. These dams – the ones that present safety concerns due to their age …

Utahns’ Awareness Of The Drying Up Of The Great Salt Lake, Ashley Young

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

The Great Salt Lake provides several benefits for the state of Utah. It supports industry, recreational activities, and aquaculture. It also provides wetland habitat to twelve million migratory birds.¹ Due to drought induced by climate change and human water use, the lake has been shrinking rapidly in a process known as desiccation. The desiccation threatens the lake’s economic and ecological benefits while also posing other potential challenges. Dust from the dry lakebed may also cause health challenges for humans, as the dust contains harmful amounts of arsenic, lithium, copper, and other metals.²

Utah’s ability to combat desiccation of …

How Invasive Species Affect Ecosystems, Marion Murray, Meg Kast

All Current Publications

Invasive species can have profound impacts on ecosystems worldwide. In the absence of their natural enemies, invasive species thrive and reproduce quickly. They can have significant ecological and economic effects. This fact sheet outlines the impact of invasive species on biodiversity, nutrient cycles, water quality, and the resulting economic consequences. It also suggests practical tips for responding.

Combining Submicron Spectroscopy Techniques (Afm-Ir And O-Ptir) To Detect And Quantify Nanoplastics In Snow From A Utah Ski Resort, Sara L. Belontz, Janice Brahney, Caroline E. Caplan, Eoghan Dillon, Ting Yan, Gerardo Dominguez

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Atomic force microscopy-based infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) and optical photothermal infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy are cutting-edge techniques used for precise nanoscale chemical analysis, capable of detecting and characterizing particles smaller than 1 μm. In this study, we applied both techniques to analyze snow subsamples collected from Beaver Mountain, Utah. Quantification by AFM-IR identified a concentration of 1.50 × 10^–1 μg/mL of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate), a copolyester known for its biodegradability and biocompatibility and that was the only polymer detected. Notably, 96% of particles had thicknesses below 1 μm, with the smallest particle recorded at 14 nm in height, demonstrating the advantage …

On Programmatic Aspects Of The Universality, Parameter, And Recursion Theorems Of Classical Computability, Vladimir A. Kulyukin

Computer Science Faculty and Staff Publications

The Universality, Parameter, and Recursion Theorems are three foundational results of classical computability theory. We show how these theorems can be programmatically illustrated and partially validated in Lisp. Our programs can be used as supplementary materials to texts on theoretical computer science, mathematical logic, or metamathematics.

Ecological Acclimation: A Framework To Integrate Fast And Slow Responses To Climate Change, Michael Stemkovski, Joey R. Bernhardt, Benjamin Wong Blonder, John B. Bradford, Kyra Clark-Wolf, Laura E. Dee, Margaret E. K. Evans, Virginia Iglesias, Loretta C. Johnson, Abigail J. Lynch, Sparkle L. Malone, Booke B. Osborne, Melissa A. Pastore, Michael Paterson, Malin L. Pinsky, Christine R. Rollinson, Oliver Selmoni, Jason J. Venkiteswaran, Anthony P. Walker, Nicole K. Ward, John W. Williams, Claire M. Zarakas, Peter B. Adler

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

1. Ecological responses to climate change occur across vastly different time-scales, from minutes for physiological plasticity to decades or centuries for community turnover and evolutionary adaptation. Accurately predicting the range of ecosystem trajectories will require models that incorporate both fast processes that may keep pace with climate change and slower ones likely to lag behind and generate disequilibrium dynamics. However, the knowledge necessary for this integration is currently fragmented across disciplines.

2. We develop ‘ecological acclimation’ as a unifying framework to emphasize the similarity of dynamics driven by processes operating on dramatically different time-scales and levels of biological organization. The …

The Link Between Environmental Change And Invasive Species, Marion Murray, Meg Kast

All Current Publications

Climate change and invasive species represent two pressing environmental challenges facing our planet. Each poses a threat to global biodiversity and ecosystem stability, and together, they amplify the impacts of the other. As global temperatures rise and ecosystems are disrupted, new conditions are created that allow invasive species to spread more easily, establish themselves in new areas, and outcompete native species.

Cutthroat Trout In Utah, Hope Northagen, Ethan Gilliam

All Current Publications

This fact sheet is intended to inform anglers, aquatic recreationalists, and backyard conservationists interested in learning about a Utah native species, current restoration steps, and how their actions can help professionals restore native cutthroat trout populations.

Usu Luminescence Lab Project 356: Durango Colorado Glacial And Fluvial Deposit Luminescence Age Results, Tammy M. Rittenour

Browse all Datasets

Luminescence dating of outwash terraces and glacial moraines. Project investigated the age of older (Bull Lake?) glacial advance sequences near Durango Colorado. Project was supervised by Dr. Jon Harvey at Fort Lewis College. Research was part of an undergraduate research project conducted by Josh Lingbloom.

Roles Of Organic Agriculture For Water Optimization In Arid And Semi-Arid Regions, Shikha Sharma, Matt A. Yost, Jennifer R. Reeve

Plants, Soils and Climate Student Research

Water scarcity is a critical challenge in arid and semi-arid regions, where agricultural water consumption accounts for a significant portion of freshwater use. Conventional agriculture (CA) methods with high reliance on chemical and mechanical inputs often exacerbate this issue through soil degradation and water loss. This review aims to examine how different organic practices, such as mulching, cover cropping, composting, crop rotation, and no-till (NT) in combination with precision technologies, can contribute to water optimization, and it discusses the opportunities and challenges for the adoption and implementation of those practices. Previous findings show that organic agriculture (OA) may outperform CA …

Revised Unsteady Drag Force And Its Impact On Particle Dynamics At High Reynolds Numbers, Ahmad Talaei, Timothy J. Garrett

Physics Student Research

The accurate modeling of particle motion in viscous fluids at high Reynolds numbers remains a fundamental challenge, particularly under unsteady flow conditions where nonlinear effects dominate. This study introduces a revised unsteady drag formulation, extending its applicability beyond previous studies. By integrating classical solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations, the new formulation overcomes the limitations of the Maxey–Riley–Gatignol (MRG) equation, addressing non-physical memory effects associated with Basset drag and extending its applicability to higher Reynolds numbers.

Through experimental comparisons and direct numerical simulations (DNS), the revised equation of motion is compared to the MRG equation, both during steady-state conditions and non-equilibrium …

A First Look Into Parental Strategies, And Challenges Around Children’S Device Usage In Urban Nepal, Rizu Paudel, Prakriti Dumaru, Ankit Shrestha, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen

Computer Science Student Research

There have been substantial changes in the landscape of technology use by children in Global South during COVID-19, when the shift to online learning platforms necessitated parents to avail personal devices (e.g., smartphones, computers) for their children to fulfill their educational needs. However, the use of devices by children are not limited to serving educational purpose only. Our study positions itself in a critical post-pandemic period in Nepal, characterized by the increase in device use by children, while a little study to date, investigated parental mediation in this developing country. To this end, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 parents, …

Convergence Research For Microplastic Pollution At The Watershed Scale, Heejun Chang, Elise Granek, Amanda Gannon, Jordyn M. Wolfand, Janice Brahney

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Microplastics are found in Earth's atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, pedosphere, and ecosphere. While there is a growing interest and need to solve this grand challenge in both the academic and policy realms, few have engaged with academics, policymakers, and community partners to co-identify the problem, co-design research, and co-produce knowledge in tackling this issue. Using a convergence research framework, we investigated the perception of microplastic pollution among different end users, delivered educational materials to K-12 teachers and practitioners, and identified key sampling points for assessing environmental microplastic concentrations in the Columbia River Basin, United States. Three community partner workshops identified regional …

Using Oblique, Bistatic Receptions Of Superdarn Signals To Measure Hf Propagation In The Auroral And Polar Cap Region, Riley Troyer, Jeffrey Holmes, Evan Thomas, Simon Shepherd, Eugene Dao, John Carilli

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Experiment Geometry

Three receiver locations:

• Pituffik (formerly Thule)
• Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow)
• USCGC Healy – Beaufort Sea

Two SuperDARN locations:

• Christmas Valley (CVE, CVW)
• Iceland (ICE, ICW)

Gnss Technology, Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

SDL presentation on GNSS Technology

Enhancing Stability And Emissions In Metal Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals Through Mn2+ Doping, Thi Thu Trinh Phan, Thi Thuy Kieu Nguyen, Trung Kien Mac, Minh Tuan Trinh

Chemistry and Biochemistry Student Research

Metal halide perovskite (MHP) nanocrystals (NCs) offer great potential for high-efficiency optoelectronic devices; however, they suffer from structural softness and chemical instability. Doping MHP NCs can overcome this issue. In this work, we synthesize Mn-doped methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr₃) NCs using the ligand-assisted reprecipitation method and investigate their structural and optical stability. X-ray diffraction confirms Mn²⁺ substitution at Pb²⁺ sites and lattice contraction. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements show a blue shift, significant PL quantum yield enhancement, reaching 72% at 17% Mn²⁺ doping, and a 34% increase compared to undoped samples, attributed to effective defect passivation and …

Comparison Of Gravity Waves Observed By Atmospheric Waves Experiment (Awe) And Simulated By High-Resolution Waccm-X, Jiarong Zhang, Han-Li Liu, Yucheng Zhao, Dominique Pautet, Ludger Scherliess, Michael Taylor

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Outline

Data: AWE and High-Resolution Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model with thermosphere and ionosphere extension (HR-WACCMX) simulation

• Quantify gravity wave (GW) activity
• Compare GW activity observed by AWE and simulated by high-resolution WACCMX
• GW activity over Western Europe

City & Town Perspectives On Water Management In Utah: Descriptive Report Of Survey Findings, Bailey M. Holdaway, Courtney G. Flint

Environment and Society Student Research

In an effort to better understand the water management practices of municipalities in Utah, surveys were conducted with city and town representatives. These surveys aimed to capture insights across a variety of key topics related to water resource management. A brief overview of survey methods is provided followed by findings organized by question topic.

Near-Earth Object (Neo) Surveyor Introduction “Neos”, Brent Carlsen

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

NEOS

- Near-Earth Object Surveyor (NEOS)

- Its Mission

- Its Importance

- How it’s built

- What you will see today

• Where piece parts were made
• Where it will be assembled
• Where it will be tested

Detecting Burn Severity And Vegetation Recovery After Fire Using Dnbr And Dndvi Indices: Insight From The Bosco Difesa Grande, Gravina In Southern Italy, Somayeh Zahabnazouri, Patrick Belmont, Scott David, Peter E. Wigand, Mario Elia, Domenico Capolongo

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Wildfires serve a paradoxical role in landscapes—supporting biodiversity and nutrient cycling while also threatening ecosystems and economies, especially as climate change intensifies their frequency and severity. This study investigates the impact of wildfires and vegetation recovery in the Bosco Difesa Grande forest in southern Italy, focusing on the 2017 and 2021 fire events. Using Google Earth Engine (GEE) accessed in January 2025, we applied remote sensing techniques to assess burn severity and post-fire regrowth. Sentinel-2 imagery was used to compute the Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI); burn severity was derived from differenced NBR (dNBR), and …

Combining N-Mixture And Occupancy Analysis Offers A More Complete Picture Of Carnivore Habitat Use In Northeastern Türkiye, J. David Blount, Austin M. Green, Mark Chynoweth, Emrah Çoban, Josip Kusak, Çağan H. Şekercioğlu

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Occupancy and N-mixture analyses have been successfully used to understand habitat use in various species. However, since these methods fundamentally answer different questions about wildlife distribution, the results from each modelling approach may provide different insights into species’ habitat use. In this study, we leveraged data from a long-term camera trapping study in northeastern Türkiye to compare the results from occupancy and N-mixture analyses, with the main objective of understanding how the modelling approach used can influence our knowledge of species’ habitat use. Specifically, we compared the habitat use preferences from N-mixture and occupancy analyses for three carnivore species with …

Laying The Groundwork: Building Long-Term Community Partnerships Across A Shared Curriculum, Juliana Chow, Eric Robertson, Kate Magargal

Utah Conference on Community Engagement

Maintaining long-term community partnerships is a major challenge for community-engaged classrooms. This poster presents a community-engaged learning (CEL) program template for a project shared between multiple courses and instructors, demonstrating how shared resources, skill sets, relationships, and coordination could result in a long-term community partnership linked to multiple community networks. It shows how 3 courses at the Honors College of the University of Utah can weave together learning objectives and cooperative planning for a course module focused on the Native Plants Program, part of the U of U Climate Action Plan.

Dynamic Riskscapes For Prey: Disentangling The Impact Of Human And Cougar Presence On Deer Behavior Using Gps Smartphone Locations, Heather N. Abernathy, Mark A. Ditmer, David C. Stoner, Kent R. Hersey, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Pat J. Jackson, Kristin N. Engebretsen, Julie K. Young, George Wittemyer

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Prey species adjust their behavior along human-use gradients by balancing risks from predators and humans. During hunting seasons, prey often exhibit strong antipredator responses to humans but may develop tolerance in suburban areas to exploit human-mediated resources. Additionally, areas with high human activity may offer reduced predation risk if apex predators avoid such locations. This study examined mule deer Odocoileus hemionus behavioral responses to risks from humans and their primary predators, cougars Puma concolor, contextualized by differences in risk levels between study sites, individual risk exposure, and human habituation. We framed our investigation using three non-mutually exclusive hypotheses: (H1) …

Ability Of Strained C Atoms To Act As An Electron Donor, Mariusz Michalczyk, Wiktor Zierkiewicz, Steve Scheiner

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

There is a great deal of strain within the propellane and pyramidane hydrocarbon molecules. Quantum chemical calculations evaluate how this strain affects the ability of the bridgehead C atom to act as an electron donor in hydrogen, halogen, chalcogen, pnicogen, and tetrel bonds, despite the absence of a formal C lone pair or CC multiple bond. The strain induces the formation of a substantial region of negative electrostatic potential on this C atom which can attract the σ-hole of an electrophile. Each such molecule also contains an occupied molecular orbital that can be described as either a C lone pair …

On The Challenges Posed By Non-Machian Solutions To Relationalism In General Relativity, Zachary Matthew Zito

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The relationship between Mach’s Principle and solutions to Einstein’s field equations is examined, with special attention to Friedmann-Lematre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) cosmology. Mach’s Principle is outlined, and the extent to which general relativity fulfills Machs vision is assessed. It is argued that several important solutions to Einsteins equations, particularly the FLRW cosmological models, embody key Machian features. In order to elucidate the FLRW cosmological model, the associated energy-momentum tensor for a perfect fluid under the assumptions of large-scale homogeneity and isotropy is derived and used to obtain the Friedmann equations that govern cosmic expansion. It is shown that FLRW cosmology can be …

Reevaluating The Drumian Carbon Isotope Excursion (Dice) In Western-Central Utah, Michelle M. Norman

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The Drumian Stage of the Cambrian Period is defined by the First Appearance Datum (FAD) of the cosmopolitan trilobite Ptychagnostus atavus in 504.5 Ma strata deposited on the slope and shelf of the Laurentia margin. The Drumian Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP), showing the best preserved example of P. atavus compared to global outcrops, is defined in the Drum Mountains of west-central Utah. Due to the inconsistent nature of fossil preservation, researchers have sought secondary proxies to identify Drumian-aged strata in the absence of age-diagnostic fauna. One key proxy is the Drumian Carbon Isotope Excursion (DICE), an ~-2.5‰ carbon …

The Stem Gender Gap: Can It Be Closed?, Makenna Roberts

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Despite increasing gender parity in many professional fields, women remain underrepresented in STEM industries, particularly in math-intensive areas such as engineering, computer science, and physics. This report explores the persistent gender gap in STEM through analysis of two data sources: gendered differences in the US national Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) performance and post-graduate employment patterns among scientists and engineers.

The first portion of the analysis examines SAT score data from 2018 to 2024, with a focus on high-performing test-takers. Using Python and R, data was extracted and visualized to compare male and female performance on the Math and Evidence-Based Reading …