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Using Digitized Building and Weather Records to Improve the Accuracy of Ground to Roof Snow Load Ratio Estimations
Get PDFReliability target loads refer to the amount of accumulated snow a roof needs to be able to support to ensure that the probability of collapse is sufficiently low. Since ground snow weight, or load, is much easier to measure than roof snow load, models for roof snow loads rely on ground snow load measurements along with a statistical model that estimates roof snow retention as a ratio of the measured ground snow load. This thesis focuses on improving the roof snow retention model using data from Canadian case studies that include information about building geometry and local wind speeds. This information is used to create new statistical models for predicting roof snow retention. Modeling finds that adding building information improves our predictions of roof snow retention, even without using weather information, but using building and weather information together creates the largest improvements in predictions. Additionally, using estimated weather information from gridded maps of historical wind speeds does not improve predictions of roof snow retention, which suggests that weather needs to be specifically measured rather than estimated to be useful in predicting roof snow retention
On the Varieties of Religious Experience in Latter-Day Saint Temples, 1836–1940
Get PDFFrom 1836 to the present, the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have constructed and undertaken rituals in buildings called temples. In the first temple in Kirtland, Ohio, its 1836 dedication was the scene of visions and speaking in tongues, much like those the apostles had at Pentecost in Acts 2. The second temple in Nauvoo, however, had none of these, and the third set of temples built in Utah, with the first completed in 1877, again saw a number of religious experiences but of a radically different form: mainly the appearance of the spirits of dead ancestors. I argue here that an understanding of what the Saints expected to happen in each of these three phases of the Latter-day Saint temple tradition serves to explain why the experiences varied so greatly
To Pot or Not to Pot: Understanding Technological Investment in Ceramics and Marine Mammal Oil Rendering in Kodiak, Alaska
Get PDFWhy do groups choose to use certain technologies, but not others? This study focuses on an especially confusing instance of this question: the adoption of pottery in Kodiak, Alaska. This event was strange for two reasons. First, by AD 1500, when Alutiiq ancestors in the Kodiak Archipelago began making pottery, their neighbors on the mainland had already been doing it for centuries—so why did they wait so long? Second, pottery is also only found in the south of the islands—so why did some people use it, but not others? Whale and seal are more abundant in southern Kodiak, so one potential explanation is that the pottery was made because southern villages were starting to render larger amounts of marine mammal oil. I reconstructed the pottery of Kodiak to try to understand whether this hypothesis makes sense. Are Alutiiq pots actually a better way to mass-produce marine mammal oil than other traditional rendering methods? What conditions should favor the use of pottery? This study lays out what I\u27ve learned about Kodiak pottery and what this tells us about what was going on in the region, as well as the implications for our understanding of pottery use in general
Sparks, Belonging, and Relationships: High School Teachers\u27 Use of Developmental Context to Engage Students in Career Pathways
Get PDFThe 4-H Thriving Model outlines how a foundation for youth sparks, belonging, and relationships can lead to short and long-term outcomes. This study explored how high school teachers in Utah integrate the elements of the foundation of the 4-H Thriving Model in environmental science and natural resources management classroom teaching. A mixed method of interviews and surveys was used to understand teaching practices. Teachers described helping students discover their interests (sparks), nurturing these interests, and linking them to careers using methods like guest speakers, field trips, contests, and student presentations. They also worked on creating a sense of belonging in their classrooms and building positive relationships with students. Science and career and technical education teachers had different teaching approaches, with career and technical education teachers using a specific model tailored to teaching models outlined by this discipline. Despite these differences, both types of teachers positively influenced students, fostering career awareness and preparing them for future academic and career success in natural resources management and environmental science
Addressing the Great Salt Lake Desiccation: Exploring Support for Alternative Frameworks on Rights of Nature and Multispecies Justice
Get PDFCurrently, there is a lack of social science research on the Great Salt Lake – a shrinking lake that faces potential ecological collapse as more water is taken upstream for human uses before it can get to the lake. The drying lake has received national attention, as it will lead to a loss of wildlife habitat, contribute to public health concerns, and impact Utah’s economy. In response to this issue, environmental scientists and activists have pressured policymakers to prioritize actions to conserve water for the lake. However, while polices have been implemented, water saved from these efforts are not guaranteed to make it to the lake. Further, lake advocates stress that such efforts are not enough to meet the urgency of this issue. Therefore, this study explores Utahns’ support for alternative solutions to address the drying of the Great Salt Lake such as rights of nature and multispecies justice approaches. Rights of nature is an earth-based social movement and legal strategy recognizing nature as an entity deserving of rights, while multispecies justice is a holistic framework examining how harmful structures in society contribute impact humans, animals, and all other types of species. If applied to the Great Salt Lake, these approaches could pave the way to grant the lake its own water rights to ensure water does get to the like while also taking into consideration what is helpful for humans and all other species that depend on the lake. Using logistic regression analysis, this study utilizes data from a statewide survey conducted by researchers at Utah State University called the Utah People and Environment Poll, which was designed to track Utahns’ views on environmental issues of importance in the state. Key findings include that nearly 29% of Utahns strongly support a rights of nature approach and over 37% strongly support a multispecies justice approach as solutions to save the Great Salt Lake. These results will help inform Utah policymakers, stakeholders, nonprofit and other advocacy groups to foster collaborative strategies best for promoting a viable and just management of the Great Salt Lake
Relationship Between the Physical Properties and Oil Binding Capacity of Fats
Get PDFFats play a significant role in shaping the characteristics of foods, influencing texture, mouthfeel, appearance, and nutritional attributes. An important property of fats is their ability to entrap liquid oil known as oil binding capacity (OBC). Poor OBC of fats frequently leads to shortened-shelf life of foods caused by quality issues due to unwanted chemical and physical changes. In natural nut butters without additives, low OBC often results in a visual oil layer forming at the surface. In filled chocolates such as truffles, pralines, and peanut butter cups this low OBC can result in unwanted textural and visual changes. The OBC of fats is determined by the physical and chemical characteristics. In this dissertation, the relationship between the physical properties and OBCs of fats is examined. To better understand the relationship between the physical properties and OBC of fats, a wide range of physical properties are generated by using different processing conditions, storage temperatures, and diluting the fats with liquid soybean oil (SBO). Additionally, the impact of chemical characteristics on the OBC of fats is studied by examining three types of fats – a soybean-based fat, a palm-based fat, and a palm-kernel-based fat that have different chemical compositions. The fats studied in this project were solidified quickly or slowly as well as with or without a processing tool – high-intensity ultrasound (HIU), which has been shown to modify the structure of fats. The physical properties of the solidified fats were measured including the texture, amount of solid fat, the temperature that the fats melted at, the amount of energy required to melt the fats, and the size of the solid particles. After the initial solidification of the samples, they were stored at room and refrigeration temperatures and the same physical properties were measured once more. The OBC of the fats was calculated using two methods. In the first method, the samples were spun in a centrifuge and the liquid oil that moved to the top was removed. In the second method, the fats were placed on top of a paper allowing the liquid oil to move onto the paper which was weighed. The relationship between the physical properties and OBC for both methods was evaluated, and it was found that fats with high amounts of solid fat, hard textures, and higher amounts of energy required to melt the fat were related to higher OBC. Additionally, fats stored at refrigeration temperatures, that contained less liquid oil, and were crystallized quickly with HIU tended to retain more liquid oil. Overall, this work indicates that the OBC of fats can be improved by changing the physical properties
Use of Celestial Objects for VIIRS Day-Night Band On-orbit Calibration
Get PDFThe VIIRS has 22 spectral bands: 14 reflective solar bands (RSB), 7 thermal emissive bands (TEB), and 1 day-night band (DNB). The DNB, with a broad banwidth of 500-900 nm, can sense reflected light from space during both day and nighttime, covering an extreme large dynamic range by collecting data at three different gain stages: low gain (LG), mid gain (MG), and high gain (HG). Apart from a broad range of remote sensing applications facilitated by the VIIRS RSB and TEB observations, its DNB nighttime observations have also enabled a number of unique applications, including monitoring and assessment of the trends or patterns of city lights, nighttime fires, fishing boats, and aurora borealis. In this paper, we present the use of celestial objects for the VIIRS DNB on-orbit calibration. Specifically, the use of a sunlit diffuser plate for its LG calibration and gain ratios of its MG to LG and HG to MG, the use of the moon for its LG and stars for its HG stability monitoring are illustrated. Also discussed are existing challenges and limits to different approaches, various strategies and data analysis techniques to carry out these tasks, and results of DNB calibration inter-comparisons among three VIIRS instruments currently operated on the S-NPP, NOAA-20, and NOAA-21
SW 1010: Finding and Using Research (Library Module)
No full textIn this module you\u27ll learn: What a peer-reviewed source is and why you\u27ll want to use them for your research assignment How to avoid paywalls and get full access to peer reviewed sources for free How to break your research topic into keywords for database searching How to cite your sources using APA citation style
Preview: https://lor.instructure.com/resources/371bfd58e56e4bc0a62b50b178fe00a9?sharedhttps://digitalcommons.usu.edu/elearning_all/1066/thumbnail.jp
Thermal Management of Roadway-Embedded Power Electronics for Electric Vehicle Dynamic Wireless Charging Systems
Get PDFElectric vehicles (EVs) are gaining popularity worldwide. However, concerns raised by the public about purchasing EVs include the limited availability of charging infrastructure, high costs, and the inconvenience of current charging methods. Dynamic wireless charging systems enable electric vehicles to charge while driving, thereby extending the range of EVs and reducing the necessity for large, expensive batteries. Moreover, these systems can initiate charging automatically without user interaction, enhancing charging convenience.
The ground assembly of existing dynamic wireless charging systems consists of an electromagnetic assembly, power electronics for the transmitter pad, and power electronics for grid connection. Installation of these systems face challenges due to high costs and the requirement for roadside management units to house the electronics. Embedding the power electronics within the roadway alongside with the transmitter pad would enhance installation ease and reduce costs. Placing the electronics closer to the transmitter pad also improves the overall system efficiency.
As power electronics provide charge between the ground and the vehicle, the electronics in the ground heat up due to losses within the system. This thesis seeks to understand techniques for managing the temperature rise of power electronics embedded in the roadway. The presence of electronics within the roadway restricts the use of conventional cooling methods such as fans or liquid cooling. This means that electronics must be cooled without the use of normal cooling methods. This thesis utilizes thermal simulation tools to model roadway-embedded electronics and identify strategies for mitigating temperature rise. Experimental validation of these techniques is then conducted in sand. The results of this research can help to reduce costs and address installation changes associated with Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer (DWPT) systems, thereby promoting wider adoption of EV dynamic wireless charging technology