100039 research outputs found
Sort by
Education Policy Committee Agenda March 6, 2025
Get PDFApproval of Minutes - February 6, 2025 Subcommittee Reports Curriculum Subcommittee Academic Standards Subcommittee General Education Subcommittee Other Business Adjourn: 4:00 p
General Education Subcommittee Agenda January 02, 2025
Get PDFCall to Order Approval of Minutes Course Approvals/Removals/Syllabi Approvals New Business Additional Items Adjourn: 9:30a
Solar Flare Prediction Using Multivariate Time Series of Photospheric Magnetic Field Parameters: A Comparative Analysis of Vector, Time Series, And Graph Data Representations
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive resource for the selection of data representations for machine learning-oriented models and components in solar flare prediction tasks. Major solar flares occurring in the solar corona and heliosphere can bring potential destructive consequences, posing significant risks to astronauts, space stations, electronics, communication systems, and numerous technological infrastructures. For this reason, the accurate detection of major flares is essential for mitigating these hazards and ensuring the safety of our technology-dependent society. In response, leveraging machine learning techniques for predicting solar flares has emerged as a significant application within the realm of data science, relying on sensor data collected from solar active region photospheric magnetic fields by space- and ground-based observatories. In this research, three distinct solar flare prediction strategies utilizing the photospheric magnetic field parameter-based multivariate time series dataset are evaluated, with a focus on data representation techniques. Specifically, we examine vector-based, time series-based, and graph-based approaches to identify the most effective data representation for capturing key characteristics of the dataset. The vector-based approach condenses multivariate time series into a compressed vector form, the time series representation leverages temporal patterns, and the graph-based method models interdependencies between magnetic field parameters. The results demonstrate that the vector representation approach exhibits exceptional robustness in predicting solar flares, consistently yielding strong and reliable classification outcomes by effectively encapsulating the intricate relationships within photospheric magnetic field data when coupled with appropriate downstream machine learning classifiers
Tuning Out the Dark: Music as a Defense and Folk Solution
Get PDFMusic across cultures and throughout history is a tool for engaging with the supernatural. It shares similarities with apotropaic magic. Through research and ethnographic fieldwork, I argued that even in modern times, individuals use music as an apotropaic remedy for fear and negative emotions. These remedies reflect strategies identified by Jeannie Thomas, including companionship, magical substance, neutralization, and displacement. Modern apotropaic music regulates emotions, re-establishes personal relationships, creates safe environments, and provides a means of control.
Contributors used music to combat various negative feelings, selecting genres that matched their emotional needs. In the absence of family and friends, music reaffirmed close relationships and provided solace during difficult times. It comforted, validated feelings, and served as an expressive outlet. Music could alter the tone of a place or event, offering grounding amid chaos and helping individuals regain control.
Contributors indicated that music is transportive and requires a sense of place: they “went to” music to access it, found it removed them from their problems or provided a sense of presence, and metaphorically summoned others for support. Music proved effective for relief, allowing for emotional expression and attuning emotions and situations. Contributors reported physical relief through music. This blurred the distinction between scientific and magical interpretations, with both perspectives reinforcing one another. Ultimately, contributors framed music as an effective form of protection and coping, transforming negative emotions into positive experiences, reinforcing that emotions should be acknowledged and validated instead of suppressed
Managing USDA wildfire crisis strategy landscapes in the Intermountain West (Region 4): A program for training future forest managers
Get PDFIlluminating Inclusivity: Celebrating Trans Joy and Liberation in K-12 Education
No full textWith the ongoing emphasis on damage-centered research (Holloway, 2023) prevalent in queer and trans studies, the inclusivity and resilience of trans youth can become overlooked. While raising awareness is crucial for change, positive and inclusive voices need more representation in educational research to offer a more comprehensive view of the trans experience. Utilizing the 2015 US Trans Survey, this mixed-methods study explored trans students’ retrospective positive experiences and support from classmates in K-12 settings to highlight trans joy. For this study, trans joy is defined as happiness liberated from gender constraints. Quantitative findings indicate that the mean classmate support score for those who were out as trans in K-12 was significantly lower than that for those who were not out. A notable difference in classmate support scores based on gender identity and sexual orientation was identified, but not for race/ethnicity. Qualitative findings emphasize that most respondents who articulated their experiences of trans joy in K-12 settings were aged 18-21. The alignment of quantitative and qualitative findings illustrates which races, gender identities, and sexual orientations wrote about their experiences of trans joy. Future research should shift from damage-centered narratives to investigate the liberation and advocacy of trans students in K-12 educational environments
Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat Dynamics and Grazing, A Study of Vegetation Indices and Survival
Get PDFNorth American rangelands are vast, open landscapes that support diverse ecosystems and provide many ecosystem services. Many wildlife call sagebrush rangelands home, including the Greater sage-grouse (sage-grouse; Centrocercus urophasianus). Sage-grouse habitat encompasses 165 million acres across western North America, and this bird has been of conservation concern as their populations drastically declined since the 1960s. Rangelands are also grazed by livestock, which has the potential to negatively affect sagebrush ecosystems when overgrazed or overstocked, which could be detrimental to sage-grouse nesting habitat. Additionally, sagebrush rangelands undergo annual variations in precipitation, temperature, growing season length, and vegetation vigor, which has been compounded by climate change.
My theses explores the link between landscape characteristics, vegetation dynamics, and sage-grouse vital rates in sagebrush rangelands in Northeastern Utah. I analyzed the effect of climate, vegetation phenology, and landscape characteristics across 10 years of sage-grouse nest fate data. The results revealed that sage-grouse nest success was higher in nests that had more days between nest initiation and the peak of the annual growth season. These results suggest that climatic factors influencing vegetation growth may be substantial for sage-grouse nest survival.
I also evaluated the connection between remotely sensed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and its relationship to livestock use. Results of this study indicate there was no relationship between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (at a 150m scale) and grazing patterns, however, my results showed a positive correlation between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and herbaceous and woody vegetation abundance within the transects. This suggests that while Normalized Difference Vegetation Index may not directly correlate with livestock patterns, it remains a valuable tool for monitoring herbaceous vegetation growth and cover
Systematics, Evolution, And Species Delimitation of Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) Based on Ultraconserved Element Phylogenomics
No full textThe diversity of life on Earth is highly skewed towards a few key groups of organisms. Parasitoid wasps are among the most species-rich yet understudied organisms on our planet. Ichneumonidae, the largest parasitoid wasp family, includes 25,000 known species out of an estimated total of 100,000, far exceeding the nearly 70,000 species of vertebrates. As parasitoids, ichneumonids lay a single egg onto or inside their hosts, and the resulting ichneumonid larva consumes its host, ultimately killing it. Most hosts are the larvae or pupae of moths, butterflies, flies, beetles, and other wasps, including many pest species injurious to agriculture and forestry. Despite their incredible species-richness and ecological importance, ichneumonids are vastly understudied. Only around one fourth of the species have been formally described. Our knowledge of their natural history is highly fragmentary and recent studies have shown that many ichneumonid groups are artificial and do not reflect evolutionary history. My dissertation research focused on advancing our knowledge of ichneumonid diversity and evolution at the generic and species levels, primarily using molecular evidence in the form of ultraconserved elements (UCEs). UCEs make for ideal molecular markers as they are highly conserved throughout the genome, informative at various evolutionary time scales, and can be sequenced from pinned specimens preserved in insect collections. I first incorporated UCEs as part of an integrative approach, along with morphology, geography, and host use, to delimit species in the Enicospilus undulatus species-group of North America, north of Mexico. Specifically, I used UCEs to infer an evolutionary tree of this species-group to test the species limits in several widespread and variable species. Second, I evaluated the existing morphology-based classification of the tribe Phaeogenini to determine if the genera represent natural groupings and to understand how key morphological characters have evolved. Finally, because many phaeogenin genera were found to be artificial, I undertook a major generic-level reclassification. This reclassification establishes a framework for further research by recircumscribing genera to conform to their evolutionary history, providing high-quality identification resources, summarizing their biology and diversity, and describing 13 new genera and 10 new species
Strategies for Writing Synthesis to Learn: A Case Study Among Sixth-Grade Social Studies Students
Get PDFWriting instruction that emphasizes strategy use helps students become better writers, especially when tackling difficult writing tasks, such as writing from sources or writing syntheses. Strategic writing instruction also supports student learning in content areas like social studies. This project examined whether Strategies for Writing Synthesis to Learn (SWSL), a mode of strategic writing instruction developed by researchers in Spain, would be effective in a new context. It also sought to understand how SWSL was perceived by students and teachers. A mixed-methods case study was used to explore both quantitative (e.g., student growth) data and qualitative (e.g., student and teacher perceptions) data. Eleven sixth-grade students and their teacher shared their test results and perspectives following a 15-day social studies unit, with texts, tests, and scripts adapted from the original Spanish instruction. The unit highlighted texts about Ancient China and emphasized strategic writing skills, including outlining, self-regulation, and paraphrasing. After SWSL, students wrote better quality syntheses and knew more about a social studies topic. The researcher also found that students and teachers valued SWSL and believed that SWSL helped students of varied abilities