Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Electron Transport Models And Precision Measurements With The Constant Voltage Conductivity Method, Justin Dekany, Jr Dennison, Alec Sim, Jerilyn Brunson

Graduate Student Publications

Recent advances are described in the techniques, resolution, and sensitivity of the Constant Voltage Conductivity (CVC) method and the understanding of the role of charge injection mechanisms and the evolution of internal charge distributions in associated charge transport theories. These warrant reconsideration of the appropriate range of applicability of this test method to spacecraft charging. We conclude that under many (but not all) common spacecraft charging scenarios, careful CVC tests provide appropriate evaluation of conductivities down to ≈10-22 (Ω-cm)-1, corresponding to decay times of many years.

We describe substantial upgrades to an existing CVC chamber, which improved the precision of …

Electron Energy Dependent Charging Effects Of Multilayered Dielectric Material, Gregory Wilson, Jr Dennison, Amberly Evans Jensen, Justin Dekany

Graduate Student Publications

Measurements of the charge distribution in electron-bombarded, thin-film, and multilayer dielectric samples showed that charging of multilayered materials evolves with time and is highly dependent on incident energy; this is driven by electron penetration depth, electron emission, and material conductivity. Based on the net surface potential’s dependence on beam current, electron range, electron emission, and conductivity, measurements of the surface potential, displacement current, and beam energy allow the charge distribution to be inferred. To take these measurements, a thin-film disordered SiO2 structure with a conductive middle layer was charged using 200-eV and 5-keV electron beams with regular 15-s pulses at …

Designing Your Home For Maximum Natural Lighting, P. Bytheway, Roslynn Brain

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

There are many benefits to having more natural light in your home. The most obvious of these are the savings you can achieve with a reduced utility bill. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (2012), about 10% of household electricity usage comes from lighting. The more natural light you have in your house, the less lights you have to turn on, and the less electricity you use. Another benefit, also related to energy use, is natural light can help heat homes. One of the best reasons to design your home for natural light involves the health benefits gained through …

Meat-Wise Eating Habits, J. Haycock, K. Anderson, Roslynn Brain

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Whether from a cow, pig, bird, fish, or other domestic or game animal, meat is universally enjoyed as part of the cultural culinary experience. It is also an excellent source of protein, which is important for a healthy body. Many people who eat meat, however, are not aware of the impact their consumption has on the environment. This guide provides a set of quick facts and action tools to make wiser choices concerning meat consumption.

Freestores: What, Why, And How, T. Durr, Roslynn Brain

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Everyone seems to generate some sort of unwanted possession over the years, whether it be clothes they no longer wear, appliances they no longer use, or books they no longer read. While throwing unwanted items like this away in the trash is convenient and simple, it adds to the amount of solid waste found in landfills and the natural environment. Furthermore, it wastes potentially valuable resources that could be used by others.

A viable alternative to disposing of unwanted possessions in the trash is to donate them to a freestore to be used by others, or if one does not …

Can The Causeway In The Great Salt Lake Be Used To Manage Salinity, Sarah E. Null, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, Craig Miller

Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh

No abstract provided.

Curds And Whey: Little Miss Muffit's Contribution To Multivariate Linear Regression, John Cameron Kidd

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

A common multivariate statistical problem is the prediction of two or more response variables using two or more predictor variables. The simplest model for this situation is the multivariate linear regression model. The standard least squares estimation for this model involves regressing each response variable separately on all the predictor variables. Breiman and Friedman [1] show how to take advantage of correlations among the response variables to increase the predictive accuracy for each of the response variable with an algorithm they call Curds and Whey. In this report, I describe an implementation of the Curds and Whey algorithm in …

Comment On Siemer Et Al. (2013), Heidi Perryman

Human–Wildlife Interactions

As a psychologist with special concern for public attitudes toward beaver (Castor canadensis) management, I read with interest the Siemer, Jonker, Becker, and Organ article appearing in your spring issue (Siemer et al. 2013). I was surprised to see that the article was based on data >10 years old and that the report did not even mention the Needham and Morzillo (2011) survey from Oregon that looked at such parallel issues with contrasting results. I was especially disheartened to see that the study did not address in any way the successful use of flow devices that has made …

Occurrence And Success Of Greater Sage-Grouse Broods In Relation To Insect-Vegetation Community Gradients, Seth M. Harju, Chad V. Olson, Lisa Foy-Martin, Stephen L. Webb, Matthew R. Dzialak, Jeffrey B. Winstead, Larry D. Hayden-Wing

Human–Wildlife Interactions

A community-level approach to identify important brood habitats of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) may prove useful in guiding management actions because it acknowledges that important habitat components are not ecologically independent from each other. We used principal components analysis to combine insect and vegetation variables into community gradients and used logistic regression to link these components with brood survival and occurrence. We found that brood success was higher when broods occurred in specific insect-vegetation community types. A relationship between brood occurrence and insect-vegetation gradients was not apparent. The high resolution of the data and the solid validation performance …

Response Of A Small Population Of Greater Sage-Grouse To Tree Removal: Implications Of Limiting Factors, S. Nicole Frey, Rachel Curtis, Kevin Heaton

Human–Wildlife Interactions

In Utah, greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter, sage-grouse) range has been reduced to 50% of what is considered historical availability due to habitat degradation and loss. In an effort to improve sage-grouse habitat in southern Utah, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) conducted a tree-removal treatment in 2005. We conducted a study to determine if (a) the tree-removal treatment was effective at creating new sage-grouse habitat, and (b) if characteristics of used habitat were similar to those reported in previous literature. The treatment resulted in increased abundance of grasses and forbs. Additionally, shrub percentage cover and height …

The Magnitude And Mechanism Of Charge Enhancement Of Ch∙∙O H-Bonds, U. Adhikari, Steve Scheiner

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Quantum calculations find that neutral methylamines and thioethers form complexes, with N-methylacetamide (NMA) as proton acceptor, with binding energies of 2–5 kcal/mol. This interaction is magnified by a factor of 4–9, bringing the binding energy up to as much as 20 kcal/mol, when a CH3+ group is added to the proton donor. Complexes prefer trifurcated arrangements, wherein three separate methyl groups donate a proton to the O acceptor. Binding energies lessen when the systems are immersed in solvents of increasing polarity, but the ionic complexes retain their favored status even in water. The binding energy is reduced when the methyl …

Characterization Of A Novel Fusion Protein Of Ipab And Ipad Of Shigella And Its Potential As A Pan-Shigella Vaccine, F. J. Martinez-Becerra, X. Chen, Nicholas E. Dickenson, S. P. Choudhari, K. Harrison, J. D. Clements, W. D. Picking, L. L. Van De Verg, R. I. Walker, W. L. Picking

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Shigellosis is an important disease in the developing world, where about 90 million people become infected with Shigella spp. each year. We previously demonstrated that the type three secretion apparatus (T3SA) proteins IpaB and IpaD are protective antigens in the mouse lethal pulmonary model. In order to simplify vaccine formulation and process development, we have evaluated a vaccine design that incorporates both of these previously tested Shigella antigens into a single polypeptide chain. To determine if this fusion protein (DB fusion) retains the antigenic and protective capacities of IpaB and IpaD, we immunized mice with the DB fusion and compared …

Recommended Management Strategies To Limit Anthropogenic Noise Impacts On Greater Sage-Grouse In Wyoming, Gail L. Patricelli, Jessica L. Blickley, Stacie L. Hooper

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Recent research has demonstrated that noise from natural gas development negatively impacts sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) abundance, stress levels, and behaviors. Other types of anthropogenic noise sources are similar to gas-development noise and, thus, the response by sage-grouse is likely to be similar. The results of research suggest that effective management of the natural soundscape is critical to the conservation and protection of sage-grouse. The goals of this review are to discuss current approaches in the management of new and existing noise sources in Wyoming and recommend research priorities for establishing effective noise management strategies. We make 4 interim …

Putting Local Knowledge And Context To Work For Gunnison Sage-Grouse Conservation, Corrine Noel Knapp, James Cochran, F. Stuart Chapin Iii, Gary Kofinas, Nathan Sayre

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Successful conservation requires adequate understanding of focal species and ecology, practices that may assist species survival, and a community of people willing and able to conserve the species. For many species at risk, we operate with imperfect knowledge in complex conservation contexts. In this case study involving the Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus), we interviewed 26 community-defined local experts, including both those with and without related academic degrees, to assess the utility of local knowledge for understanding and informing conservation opportunities.This project suggests several benefits of integrating local knowledge that apply specifically to rare and endemic populations, including the …

Stakeholder Contemporary Knowledge Needs Regarding The Potential Effects Of Tall Structures On Sage-Grouse, Terry A. Messmer, Robert Hasenyager, James Burruss, Sherry Liguori

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005 required all state and federal agencies to grant utilities access permits to promote reliable, renewable energy production and transmission. Contemporary transmission relies largely on above-ground electric transmission structures and lines. The construction, operation, and maintenance of tall structures, such as power lines, communication towers, wind turbines, and other installations and their associated activities in sage-grouse (Centrocercus spp.) habitats were identified as a conservation threat by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in its decision to designate greater sage-grouse (C. urophasianus; hereafter, sage-grouse) as a candidate species for protection under the Endangered …

Livestock Predation By Common Leopard In Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, India: Human-Wildlife Conflicts And Conservation Issues, Chandra Prakash Kala, Kishor Kumar Kothari

Human–Wildlife Interactions

We investigate livestock predation by the common leopard (Panthera pardus) and emerging conflicts between this species, local people, and wildlife authorities at the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary in the Himalayan region of India. We scrutinized secondary data that were collected by wildlife authorities; we also conducted informal interviews of villagers living within sanctuary, and wildlife staff to understand various human–leopard conflicts. Leopard density was approximately 0.33/km2 in the sanctuary. Leopards killed 1,763 domestic animals, about 90% of which were cattle, during a 14-year period. Within the sanctuary, leopards killed 1 person and injured 9 others. This high depredation rate …

Urban Edibles: Ornamentals, Roslynn Brain

Roslynn Brain

Who says the only place for city dwellers to pick up their daily dose of vegetables is the local farmers market or grocer? Much of the produce you need and enjoy is available to you in your own backyard and, better yet, is free of cost! Urban foraging is the art of finding, identifying and collecting wild edibles in everyday urban settings. From delicious fruits to weeds you would never in your wildest dreams think to eat, cities are full of handpicked eating opportunities!

Winter Habitat Use By Juvenile Greater Sage-Grouse On Parker Mountain, Utah: Implications For Sagebrush Management, Danny Caudill, Terry A. Messmer, Brent Bibles, Michael R. Guttery

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter, sage-grouse) are entirely dependent on sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) for food and cover during winter. Loss or fragmentation of important wintering areas could have a disproportionate affect on population size. We radio-marked and monitored 91 juvenile sage-grouse in south-central Utah from 2008 to 2010. Thirty-four individuals survived to winter (January to March) and were used to evaluate winter habitat use. Resource use was calculated using kernel density estimation of radio-marked individuals and compared to available habitat using a G-test. We found that juvenile sage-grouse used winter habitats characterized by 0 to 5% slopes …

Response To Perryman Comment On Siemer Et Al. (2013), William F. Siemer, Daniel J. Decker, Sandra A. Jonker

Human–Wildlife Interactions

No abstract provided.

Vitals Rates And Seasonal Movements Of Two Isolated Greater Sage-Grouse Populations In Utah's West Desert, Jason D. Robinson, Terry A. Messmer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Declines in greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter, sage-grouse) populations in Utah over the last century parallel range-wide trends. However, little is known about the ecology of sage-grouse populations that inhabit Utah’s naturally fragmented habitats. Utah’s West Desert sage-grouse populations occupy sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats that are geographically separated by the Great Salt Lake, and largely confined to the Sheeprock and Deep Creek watersheds. From 2005 to 2006, we monitored sage-grouse that were radio-collared in each watershed to determine the factors affecting the vital rates in these isolated populations. Livestock grazing by domestic cattle was the dominate land use, …

Understanding Precision Nitrogen Stress To Optimize The Growth And Lipid Content Tradeoff In Oleaginous Green Microalgae, Curtis Adams, Valerie Godfrey, Bruce Bugbee, Brad Wahlen, Lance Seefeldt

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Nitrogen deficiency promotes lipid formation in many microalgae, but also limits growth and lipid productivity. In spite of numerous studies, there is poor understanding of the interactions of growth and lipid content, the time course of lipid accumulation and the magnitude of nitrogen deficiency required to stimulate lipid formation. These relationships were investigated in six species of oleaginous green algae, comparing high and low levels of deficiency. Nitrogen stress typically had disproportionate effects on growth and lipid content, with profound differences among species. Optimally balancing the tradeoffs required a wide range in nitrogen supply rate among species. Some species grew …

Easy Steps To Reduce Your Energy Bill, B. Thomas, Brett Tingey, Roslynn Brain

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Fossil fuels supply most of Utah’s energy needs. Any process using fossil fuels, however, emits carbon dioxide (CO2), mercury, and oftentimes other contaminants that stress Utah’s beautiful natural resources (Dresselhaus & Thomas, 2001). Most electricity in Utah is fueled by coal-fired power, which adds mercury to our air and waterways. Increased mercury in ducks and fish have resulted in restrictions for Utah family pastimes, such as fishing and duck hunting. In 2010, 23% of energy consumption in the United States was residential, totaling 22.2 quadrillion Btu (EIA, 2010). A quadrillion Btu is about equal to the amount of energy in …

Resilience In Quaking Aspen: Recent Advances And Future Needs, Paul C. Rogers, C. Eisenberg, S. Clair

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) sustainability is a topic of intense interest in forest ecology. Reports range from declines to persisting or increasing coverage in some areas. Moreover, there is little agreement on ultimate factors driving changes. Low aspen recruitment has been attributed to climate patterns, past management, herbivore increases, competitive interactions with conifers, predator and beaver extirpation, and livestock grazing. Several of these potential causes result from direct or indirect actions of human agency. On June 27–28, 2012 a group of leading aspen ecologists from diverse backgrounds convened at the High Lonesome Ranch in western Colorado to address the state …

Changes In Thermospheric Temperature Induced By High-Speed Solar Wind Streams, Larry Gardner, Jan Josef Sojka, Robert W. Schunk, Rod Heelis

All Physics Faculty Publications

During high-speed stream (HSS) events the solar wind speed increases, and the cross polar cap potential increases, leading to increased Joule heating at high latitudes. The heat input at high latitudes heats the polar regions, which then conducts to lower latitudes, producing global heating. The heating occurs during the risetime of the cross polar cap potential and throughout the period of high cross polar cap potential as seen in our simulation. These simulations are performed using the Utah State University global thermosphere model driven by Joule heating rates that are consistent with electric fields observed by DMSP-15 observations of HSS …

Multiple Peaks In Saber Mesospheric Oh Emission Altitude Profiles, Jordan Rozum, Gene A. Ware, Doran J. Baker, Martin G. Wlynczak, James M. Russell

Browse All Undergraduate research

No abstract provided.

First Temperature Observations With The Usu Very Large Rayleigh Lidar: An Examination Of Mesopause Temperatures, Leda Sox, Vincent B. Wickwar, Joshua P. Herron, Marcus J. Bingham, Lance W. Petersen, Matthew T. Emerick

Posters

As the impetus for extended observational measurements throughout the middle atmosphere has increased1 , the limits of previous instrumentation need to be pushed. The Rayleigh lidar group at the Atmospheric Lidar Observatory (ALO) at Utah State University has pushed such limits on existing Rayleigh scatter lidar technology and, through major upgrades to the previous lidar system, has been able to gather temperature measurements in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere from approximately 70P109 km. A data campaign with the new system was conducted around the annual temperature minimum, centered on late June 2012, in this region. The temperatures from this …

A Flexible Consent Management System For Master Person Indices, Aditya Pakalapati

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In healthcare, a Master Person Index (MPI) is a system that integrates information of individual from multiple data sources. To ensure confidentiality, such systems, particularly in healthcare, need to respect individual and organizational constraints on the sharing of data. This report describes a reusable consent management system that enforces such constraints and how it has been tested in the context of the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) MPI for public health.

Effective Use Of Interactive Learning Modules In Classroom Study For Computer Science Education, Goldee Jamwal

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is spending substantial resources to improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the United States. The ultimate goal of these programs is to produce students with a better knowledge of math and science and who are more likely to pursue careers in STEM fields. Interactive learning modules can be used in the classroom environment for effective learning.

This study examines the learning preferences of Logan High School (located in Logan, Utah) students and evaluates the impacts of using interactive learning modules with classroom lectures compared to other traditional methods of teaching.

Effects Of Flooding And Tamarisk Removal On Habitat For Sensitive Fish Species In The San Rafael River, Utah: Implications For Furture Restoration Efforts, Daniel Louis Keller

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Part I of this report is focused on assessment of habitat changes on the San Rafael River after the abnormally high water year in 2011. Having habitat data and aerial imagery collected in 2010 (pre-flood) provided an opportunity to assess how a flood of this magnitude changed river habitat. In 2011 we commissioned a second aerial flight of the San Rafael River to serve as post flood imagery, then used Geographic Information Systems (GIS, ArcMap 10) to analyze river changes due to tamarisk removal and flooding. Our tamarisk removal project appears to have increased the potential for spring floods to …

The Effects Of Bison On Cattle Winter Range In The Henry Mountains Of South Central Utah: Resolving A Conflict, Ian M. Ware

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The American Bison in the Henry Mountains are one of the last free-roaming, genetically pure herds of bison remaining in North America. Over the last decade, the herd has used a cattle winter range during the summer and early fall, creating a conflict between the wildlife officials who manage the bison population, and Bureau of Land Management officials and local ranchers who manage the rangeland. At the heart of this conflict is the question of whether bison are negatively impacting the rangeland resource, potentially reducing the abundance of preferable plant species. Negative impacts could include reduced forage availability in the …