Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Evaluation Of Lake Fertilization As A Tool To Assist In The Recovery Of The Snake River Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus Nerka), Howard P. Gross

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I analyzed lake fertilization (with nitrogen and phosphorus) as a tool to assist in the recovery of the Snake River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in the oligotrophic Sawtooth Valley Lakes in southcentral Idaho. These analyses involved monitoring, manipulating, and modelling several aspects of the lakes' primary producer, nutrient, and light parameters.

In Pettit Lake, I evaluated the effects of metalimnetic and epilimnetic fertilization in 330-m³ mesocosms. The metalimnetic treatment was equal to or more effective than the epilimnetic treatment in increasing chlorophyll a, phytoplankton biovolume, and primary productivity, yet caused smaller changes in periphyton growth and …

Asymmetric Adsorbate And Substrate Interactions In Physisorbed Systems: N2 On Graphite And Dipolar Molecules On Ionic Substrates, Teresa Ellen Burns

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Asymmetries in physisorbed systems give rise to interesting phases and phase transitions in two-dimensional (2D) monolayer and multilayer systems. The effects of asymmetric adsorbate and substrate interactions in monolayers of dipolar molecules on ionic substrates and N₂ on graphite are studied.

In the case of dipolar molecules on ionic substrates, 2D dielectric phase transitions using a modified Blume-Emery-Griffiths (BEG) model are determined theoretically. A dipole adsorbed vertically above a metal ion lattice site, and pointing up (down), is assigned a spin S=+1 (S=-1). An empty lattice site is assigned a spin S=0. Analytic solutions for both ferroelectrically and antiferroelectrically …

An Inverse Approach To A Probability Model For Fractured Networks, Stacy G. Vail

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A common problem in science and engineering applications deals with finding information about a system where only limited information is known. One example of this problem is determining the geometry of an aquifer or oil reservoir based on well tests taken at the site. The Conditional Coding Method attacks this type of problem. This method uses the Simulated Annealing Algorithm in conjunction with a probability model which generates possible solutions based on a uniform random number list. The Annealing Algorithm generates a conditional probability distribution on all possible solutions generated by the probability model, conditioned on the observed data set. …

Effect Of Iron Binding On The Ability Of Crocidolite To Cause Dna Single-Strand Breaks, Jeanne Ann Hardy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fibrous carcinogens, such as crocidolite asbestos, are known to catalyze many of the same reactions as iron, namely O₂ consumption, generation of reduced oxygen species, and damage to DNA, such as strand breaks, and modifications of bases. Upon inhalation, fibers are also known to become coated with an iron-rich material. The mechanism by which this iron is bound to fibers in the lung is not known, and the effect of this additional iron on the reactivity of the fibers is also not well understood. The studies described here were undertaken to elucidate the abilities of crocidolite asbestos, in its …

The Pharmacodynamics And Toxicodynamics Of Inotropic Drugs In Calves With Natural And Artificial Hearts, Scott D. Everett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Inotropic support for the failing myocardium as the therapy for congestive heart failure (CHF) is intended to achieve an increase in cardiac output via positive responses in myocardial contractility and vasodilation. A novel approach to differentiate these two responses is the use of an animal with an implanted total artificial heart (TAH). Three inotropic drugs, dobutamine, enoximone, and pimobendan, were tested in eight animals with their natural heart intact and five animals implanted with a TAH. Baseline values of the TAH and natural heart (NH) were compared to determine their hemodynamic similarities. Each of the three drugs was given randomly …

Sedimentology And Foraminiferal Taphonomy In Siliciclastic Environments: The Northern Gulf Of California, Mexico, Liping Zhang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Holocene sediments from intertidal and shallow subtidal zones in Bahia la Choya, Mexico exhibit significant differences based on their mineralogical content, constituent composition, textural parameters, and foraminiferal assemblages. The intertidal sediments are characterized by low calcium carbonate content, being dominated by quartz, and are moderately well sorted and coarse skewed with a fine mean grain size {M_z = 2.73 phi}. Total numbers {living and dead} of benthonic Foraminifera per ml of sediment are relatively low (12/ml) in the intertidal zones. In contrast, the subtidal sediments are characterized by high calcium carbonate content, being dominated by molluscan shell fragments, and …

The Tectonic Evolution Of The Panther Creek Half-Graben In East-Central Idaho, Brian F. Hammond

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An integrated field, petrographic, structural, and geophysical analysis of the Panther Creek half-graben (PCHG), in east-central Idaho, was undertaken to determine its tectonic origin. Two competing theories as to the origin of the PCHG exist. One suggests that it formed as part of the TransChallis fault system (TCFS), a system of northeast-trending normal faults, eruptive centers, and graben that formed in Middle Eocene time. The graben of this system are bounded by northeast-striking normal faults, and show evidence of syn-tectonic deposition of basin-filling volcanic strata. The other theory suggests that the PCHG may have evolved as a result of a …

Dungpat Microenvironmental Effects On Germination And Establishment Of Crested Wheatgrass, Ghulam Akbar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Complementary greenhouse and field studies investigated the effects of ambient environmental conditions on cattle dungpat moisture, temperature, nutrient concentration, and crust formation dynamics, which in turn influence seed germination and seedling establishment in dungpats. 'Hycrest' crested wheatgrass [Agropyron desertorum (Fisch. ex Link) X A. cristatum (L.) Gaert.] was used as a representative revegetation species.

After collecting feces from Holstein steers that had been fed crested wheatgrass seeds, uniform dungpats were prepared and placed on two soil types (loam and coarse sand) in containers under three watering treatments (field capacity, 1/2 field capacity, and no water) in the greenhouse. Dungpat …

The Response Of Five Tropical Plant Species To Natural Solar Ultraviolet-B Radiation, Peter S. Searles

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Tropical regions currently receive the highest global levels of solar ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B, 280-320 nm) even without ozone depletion. Thus, the influence of natural, present-day UV-B irradiance in the tropics was examined for five tropical species, including three native rainforest tree species and two economically important species. Solar UV-B radiation conditions were obtained vi using either a UV-B excluding plastic film or a near-ambient UV-B transmitting film in a small clearing on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama (9 ° N). Significant differences were often exhibited as increased foliar UV-B absorbing compounds, increased leaf mass per area, and reduced leaf blade …

Density And Feeding Habits Of Elk And Deer In Relation To Livestock Disturbance, Kenneth Clegg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Elk (Cervus elaphus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) density and foraging behavior were monitored in conjunction with disturbance by livestock (cattle and sheep) from 1991 to 1993 at Deseret Land and Livestock property near Woodruff, Utah. Elk and deer densities declined by as much as 92% in response to introduction of livestock, while associated areas where livestock were absent did not show this response. Biting rates and bite sizes were estimated and used to determine instantaneous intake rate. These measures were similar between pastures with cattle present or absent in 1992 but differed in 1993 for …

Statistical Properties And Problems In Modeling The Bolivian Foreign Exchange Market, Gover Barja

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Bolivian foreign exchange market is explained in terms of the official and parallel exchange rates. The data covers the post hyper inflationary period from 1986 to 1992. The distribution of the rate of depreciation of the official and parallel exchange rates is long tailed and strongly departs from normality due to the existence of outliers. A market interactions model of the autoregressive kind is estimated using robust regression. This procedure produces M-parameter estimates using iteratively reweighted least squares. The robust method handles well the outlier problem and at the same time it reveals the true nature of the statistical …

A Monte Carlo Simulation Of Coulomb Collisions And Wave-Particle Interactions In Space Plasma At High Latitudes, Imad Ahmad Barghouthi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Four studies were considered to simulate the ion behavior in the auroral region and the polar wind.

In study I, a Monte Carlo simulation was used to investigate the behavior of O⁺ ions that are E x B-drifting through a background of neutral O, with the effect of O⁺(Coulomb) self-collisions included. Wide ranges of the ion-to-neutral density ratio n_i / n_n and electrostatic field E were considered in order to investigate the change of ion behavior with respect to the solar cycle and altitude. For low altitudes and/or solar minimum (n_i / …

Hydrogeology And Hydrochemistry Of The East-Central Portion Of The Salt Lake Valley, Utah, As Applied To Wellhead Protection In A Confined To Semiconfined Aquifer, Jeff W. Gadt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Safe Drinking Water Act includes provisions for state wellhead protection programs which address wellhead protection areas. In Utah, these areas are called drinking water source protection (DWSP) zones. Zones Two and Three are delineated according to analytical or numerical techniques, which are based on hydrogeological and time-of-travel data, as well as recharge information, accumulated through the use of hydrogeologic and hydrochemical techniques. The primary conclusions of this research are:

1. A fence diagram and site hydrostratigraphic diagram show that the hydrogeology is more complex than previously has been thought. The principal aquifer at the target well site comprises a sequence …

A Study Of Magnetic Activity Effects On The Thermospheric Winds In The Low Latitude Ionosphere, Ricardo Cruz Davila

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the effects of magnetic activity on the low latitude F-region thermospheric winds. The F-region (120-1600 km) is a partially ionized medium where O⁺ and O are the major ion and neutral species, respectively. The thermospheric winds at these altitudes are driven primarily by pressure gradient forces resulting from the solar heating during the day and cooling at night. For this study, we use measured Fabry-Perot Interferometer (FPD winds at Arequipa (16.5°S, 71.5°W) and measured FPI and Incoherent Scatter Radar (ISR) winds at Arecibo (18.6°N, 66.8°W).

Previous wind studies at Arequipa and …

Magnitude Of Displacement And Styles Of Deformation On The Paris And Laketown Thrust Faults, Northern Utah, Richard D. Kendrick

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Surface geology is combined with abundant industry seismic-reflection and drill­-hole data in the central Bear River Range and Bear Lake Plateau to depict the forms and interactions of the Paris-Woodruff-Willard, Laketown-Meade-Home Canyon, and Crawford thrust faults. Displacement on the Paris thrust diminished to the south, and died out in splays where displacement was transferred to the Willard thrust. West of Woodruff, Utah, splays of the Laketown thrust deformed a complex footwall imbricate of the Willard thrust. To the east, a major northeast-striking Crawford thrust splay exhibits a change in slip vectors from east to southeast. Reorientation of these slip vectors …

Linear Operators That Preserve Qualitative Matrix Structures, Shumin Ye

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

We characterized the group of linear operators that preserve sign-nonsingular matrices over M_n(R). Then we extended these results to n show that a linear operator T that strongly preserves L-matrices over M_m,n(R) if and only if T preserves L-matrices and T is also one to one on m,n the set of cells. We also characterized the group of linear operators that strongly preserve L-matrices.

In addition, we characterized the group of linear operators that preserve super L- matrices, the subset of L-matrix. Also we investigated linear …

Hydrogeology And Hydrochemistry Of The Delta Wadi El-Arish Area Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, Medhat A. El-Bihery

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Delta Wadi El-Arish, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, forms one of the most important parts of Egypt for industrial and agricultural expansion projects. This study focuses on the hydrogeology and the hydrochemistry of the Quaternary aquifer in the delta Wadi El-Arish area. Accurate information about the groundwater characteristics of the Quaternary aquifer will allow implementation of a sound water management policy for the Wadi El-Arish area.

The objectives of this study include: 1) determining the relationships between groundwater extraction and water levels and water quality using water-level measurements, total extraction of the wells, and chemical analyses of water samples; 2) determining the …

Internal Deformation, Evolution, And Fluid Flow In Basement-Involved Thrust Faults, Northwestern Wyoming, James V. Goddard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An integrated field, microstructure, fracture statistic , geochemistry, and laboratory permeability study of the East Fork and White Rock fault zones, of similar age and tectonic regime but different structural level and hydrogeologic history, provides detailed information about the internal deformation and fluid flow processes in fault zones. The primary conclusions of this research are: 1) Fault zones can be separated into subzones of protolith, damaged zone , and gouge /cataclasite, based on physical morphology and permeability structure. At deep structural levels, gouge/cataclasite zones are more evolved (thicker with increased grain size reduction) due to strain localization, higher pressure and …

Properties Of Rigid Foams For Application As Materials For Light Weight Structures In Space, Huichen Chi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The mechanical and mesoscopic structural properties of rigid cellular foam made of polystyrene have been investigated. Basic properties (e.g., density, total and available porosity, permeability, surface area, isotropicity, and cell size and cell wall thickness distributions) were measured. In most cases, alternative methods were used to determine which methods were most appropriate for the type of samples we studied. Standard compression and deflection mechanical tests were performed. The stress-strain curves and related mechanical properties were found to agree with standard cellular structural models of open-cell foams.

We investigated the effects of small (~ < 5 atm) hydrostatic stress applied to foam samples for long periods of time (~one day). We observed large changes (up to a factor of three) in the stress-strain diagrams, Young's modulus, elastic collapse stress, ultimate strength, resilience, Poisson's ratio, permeability, penetration depth, and available porosity. Effects were most pronounced above 2 atm applied pressure differential, but were observed even for 1 atm loads. Short-term exposure to loads up to ten times as large did not cause comparable changes. These changes were interpreted as resulting from observed changes in the mesoscopic structure occurring near the surface using standard cellular structural models.

This work was originally motivated by applications …

Intrinsic Loss In Infrared Optical Fibers, Prapassorn Tantiphanwadi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Recently, in communication system, fiber optics has become a most interesting development tool as a transmission medium. It first appeared as a feasible transmission medium in 1970. The reason for the development in fiber optics comes from the overwhelming advantage in technology and economy compared to wires and coaxial links. For technology progress, typically, optical fiber has a wide transmission band-width (0.1-1000 GHz), lower loss per unit length (0.15 – 5 dB km^-1[1]), and does not allow electromagnetic interference. For example, signal transmitted over commercial silica-based fiber must be reamplified every 10 to 50 kilometers, whereas signals transmitted …

Disconjugacy And Oscillation Theory Of Linear Differential And Difference Equations, Yuhua Xu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation is both a literature survey and a presentation of new and independent results.

The survey gives an overview of disconjugacy and oscillation theory for linear differential and difference equations with an emphasis on comparing the theory of difference equations to the theory of differential equations. Second order scalar equations, higher order scalar equations, matrix equations (systems) and Hamiltonian systems are discussed. A chapter on three-term recurrences of systems is also included. Both similarities and differences between differential and difference equations are described.

The new and independent results are for Hamiltonian systems of difference equations. Those results include the …

The Paleoecology And Geomorphology Of Holocene Deposits Of The Southern Malad River, Box Elder County, Utah, Ann Schaffer Elder

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Widespread Lake Bonneville sediments have been modified by river aggradation and degradation associated with Holocene fluctuations in the Great Salt Lake. Exposures of exceptionally abundant and well-preserved molluscan deposits in the Bear River Valley, Utah, allow detailed paleoenvironmental reconstruction of Holocene environments. The exposed basal unit consists of largely unfossiliferous deltaic silts and clays deposited during Lake Bonneville time (roughly 11,000 - 13,000 yr B. P.). An unconformity representing at least 2000 yr separates the deltaic material from overlying highly fossiliferous stream sands. Eight species of molluscs, comprising a single community, occupied this low energy stream environment at 7690 ± …

Effects Of Polyacrylamide On Rangeland Soils And Plants, Saud Leily R. Al-Rowaily

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of two forms of polyacrylamide (PAM) conditioners (Cross-linked and Non-cross-linked PAM) on evaporation, saturated hydraulic conductivity, water retention, crust and crack formation of soils, seed germination, and seedling and tubeling growth.

The two PAM conditioners, 0.2% concentration by weight, were mixed with seven soils of different textures (sandy loam, silt, silty clay loam, silt loam, fine sand, medium sand, and coarse sand) to investigate the effects on evaporation, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and water retention. Soil samples of different textures were brought to field capacity and placed in a growth chamber …

A Maple Package For The Variational Calculus, Cinnamon Hillyard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The HELMHOLTZ package, written in Maple V, is a collection of commands to support research in the variational calculus. These commands include the standard operators on differential forms, Euler-Lagrange operators, homotopy operators, Lie bracket, Lie derivatives, and the prolongation of a vector field. We give a brief introduction to the variational calculus. We describe each of the commands in the HELMHOLTZ package completely along with numerous examples of each. Applications of the package include verification of symmetry groups for differential equations, solving the inverse problem of the calculus of variations, computing generalized symmetries, and finding variational integrating factors. A complete …

A Comparison Of Two Linear Nonparametric Regression Techniques, Sylvain Sardy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis presented a useful tool in regression. Nonparametric linear regression techniques were described in the general context of regression. A comparison of two of these techniques, kernel regression and iterative regression, showed various aspects of nonparametric linear regressors.

Inverse Problem In Porous Medium Using Homogenization, Helen Alkes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The problem under consideration is that of obtaining a representation of the permeability of a porous medium which is heterogeneous and anisotropic from limited information. To solve this inverse problem we propose the use of two different pieces that work together. A simulated annealing algorithm is presented and coupled with an homogenization technique; together these solve the problem which was posed. Further, numerical simulation results are presented illustrating the use of the simulated annealing algorithm as well as a coupling with the homoginization technique. This study illustrates that the performance of the annealing algorithm is enhanced with usage of homogenization.

Hopf Bifurcation In A Parabolic Free Boundary Problem, Yoon-Mee Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

We deal with a free boundary problem for a nonlinear parabolic equation, which includes a parameter in the free boundary condition. This type of system has been used in models of ecological systems, in chemical reactor theory and other kinds of propagation phenomena involving reactions and diffusion.

The main purpose of this dissertation is to show the global existence, uniqueness of solutions and that a Hopf bifurcation occurs at a critical value of the parameter r. The existence and uniqueness of the solution for this problem are shown by finding an equivalent regular free boundary problem to which existence …

New Syntheses Of Diaryl Ethers, Tyrosinols, B-Hydroxytyrosinols, L,L-Isodityrosinol And L,L-Isodityrosine-Derived Agents Via The Diels-Alder Reaction, Xianqi Feng

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Syntheses of diaryl ethers were approached by use of a Diels-Alder reaction employing a new type of diene attached with an aryloxy group. Thus, 2-methyl-3-phenoxybutadiene (90b ), 2- methoxy-3-phenoxybutadiene (92b) and (4S)-3-(t- butyloxycarbony1)-2 ,2-dimethyl-4-( 4-(3-methoxy-1,3 -butadienyl-2- oxy )phenylmethyl]oxazolidine (93b) were synthesized in ~65% yields by methylenation of the carbonyl function in the corresponding 2- substituted acrylate aryl ester using Tebbe's reagent. The 1,3- bis[(trimethylsilyl)oxy ]-2-phenoxybutadiene (105) was made from 1-phenoxy-2-propanone (101) by a sequence of formylation and enolsilylation. Methyl propiolate (107) and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (113) were heated at reflux with diene 9 0 b and 92b in toluene to provide …

Mobilization Of Iron Enhances The Iron-Dependent Biochemical Reactivity Of Asbestos In Vitro And Contributes To The Cytotoxicity Of Asbestos In Cultured Cells, Loren Glen Lund

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Asbestos related research began approximately 60 years ago, yet, the mechanism(s) by which asbestos exerts its biological effects is not well understood. The hypothesis upon which this dissertation is based is that mobilization of iron from asbestos enhances the iron-dependent biochemical reactivity of asbestos in vitro and contributes to asbestos-dependent cytotoxicity. The specific aims for this hypothesis were, 1) to determine whether iron was responsible for the biochemical reactivity of asbestos in vitro and asbestos-induced cytotoxicity in cultured cells, and 2) to determine whether mobilization of iron from asbestos enhanced the reactions catalyzed by asbestos in vitro and contributes to …

Sedimentology And Community Structure Of Reefs Of The Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, Matthew J. Novak

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Holocene carbonate sediments from Mexican reefs in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico display variations in constituent composition, texture and mineralogy which are related to their locations on the reefs. Samples were collected at barrier reef environments at Akumal and Chemuyil, on the northeast coast of the Yucatan Peninsula; at the oceanic atoll of Chinchorro, off the southeast coast of the peninsula; and at the shelf atoll of Alacranes, in the Gulf of Mexico. Samples were collected through a depth range of 0-40 m, which encompasses back reef, shallow fore reef, and deeper fore reef environments.

Constituent-particle analysis of reef …