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Spirits, an Original Wind Ensemble Work
No full textThis thesis is an original wind ensemble composition, it is approximately forty-two minutes long. The piece is a programmatic work based on Hayao Miyazaki’s film “Spirited Away,” it contains no musical material from the film score for the film and is completely original. I began composing the piece in December 2019 and completed it in April 2020. Mark Thiele of the University of Idaho conducted the first reading of the piece by the University of Idaho Wind Ensemble. Hayao Miyazaki has always been a huge influence on me as an artist and I was very excited to pay tribute to him by composing a piece based on one of his films.masters, M.M., Music -- University of Idaho - College of Graduate Studies, 2020-0
Perceptions of Secondary Administrators on the Theory, Implementation and Outcome of Restorative Practices
No full textPublic education in the United States is moving away from zero-tolerance policies to restorative approaches to address school discipline. The number of students experiencing removal from their educational opportunity via exclusionary discipline (suspensions and expulsions) is increasing at an alarming rate. Communities across the nation are calling for a change in discipline practices. This shift in school climate, away from the punitive, and toward embracing a restorative environment is occurring. Research on restorative practices has been primarily quantitative in nature, there are limited qualitative studies on the implementation process and outcomes from school districts shifting to a restorative mindset. This study examines the perceptions of high school administrators in a mid-sized urban school district on the theory of restorative approaches, the experiences they encounter in the implementation and outcomes as they shift from zero-tolerance to restorative practices. The research is grounded in a phenomenological lens to develop emergent themes about the administrator’s experiences over the past several years as the district implemented restorative practices into the schools. This study informs our understanding of the lived experience of administrators as they are tasked with changing the mindset of their respective school staff to a restorative approach and a call for more research to include empirical studies to support and guide schools as they navigate the shift in school culture and community. Keywords: community building, exclusionary discipline, phenomenology, restorative approach, restorative justice, restorative practice, secondary level, zero-tolerance policiesdoctoral, D.Ed., Leadership and Counseling -- University of Idaho - College of Graduate Studies, 2020-0
An intervention for pre-service professionals to perspective take toward individuals with physical disabilities
No full textQuantitative and qualitative research support that students with physical disabilities are excluded from physical education classes (Martin, 2018; Bredahl, 2013; Rizzo, 1984; Rizzo & Vispoel, 1991; Rizzo & Kirkendall, 1995; Hodge, Murata, & Kozub, 2002; Hodge & Elliott, 2013). Students with physical disabilities frequently want to play and be included, however, they are often given a different non-inclusive task such as walking around the gym or riding an exercise bike (Bredahl A.-M. , 2013). Teachers perceive the student with a physical disability as high risk, (Shaw & Stoll, 2018d; Shaw & Stoll, 2017; Shaw & Stoll, 2018b) and thus, students with physical disabilities are excluded (Smith, 2009). Potential factors arise as to why this discriminating practice exists including 1) implicit bias of the teachers, 2) negative teacher judgment about inclusion, and 3) teachers perceiving students with a physical disability as an object rather than a subject. However, U.S. Federal Laws explicitly prohibit discrimination against students with physical disabilities. Therefore, the purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the effect of a perspective-taking intervention on 1) reasoning, 2) bias, and 3) judgment of pre-service physical education teachers toward people with physical disabilities. Forty-four (44) participants completed all six intervention lessons. The intervention was compiled of six perspective taking lessons on different topics which plague people with physical disabilities. The purpose of the lessons was to create cognitive dissonance within the participants and inspire them to a different way of thinking to include people with physical disabilities. Additionally, the lessons had activities, questions, and reflections in which the participants could engage. What the participants had to say within their reflections from lesson one to lesson six shifted as the reflections became more thoughtful, longer in length, and more understanding of what people with physical disabilities experience daily. Three instruments were used: (1) Hahm-Beller Values Choice Inventory (Stoll & Beller, 1998) which measured moral reasoning, (2) Hodge's, Murata's, and Kozub’s Judgments about inclusion instrument(2002) which measured judgments about inclusion, and (3) Harvard Implicit Bias Test (Harvard University, 2018) which measured implicit biases. One hundred and one participants enrolled in the intervention group and 32 originally enrolled in the control group. However, an additional 20 participants were added to the control group after one whole control group dropped out. There were thirty-one (31) participants in the intervention group who completed the Hahm-Beller Values Choice Inventory and all six lessons to the intervention and twenty-seven (27) participants in the control group who completed the Hahm-Beller Values Choice Inventory. There were twenty-five (25) participants in the intervention group who completed the Judgment about Inclusion Instrument and all six lessons to the intervention and eighteen (18) participants in the control group who completed the Judgment about Inclusion Instrument. Furthermore, there were nineteen (19) participants in the intervention group who completed the Harvard Implicit Bias Test and all six lessons to the intervention and twenty (20) participants in the control group who completed the Harvard Implicit Bias Test. Additionally forty-four (44) participants completed all six lessons. Lessons and answers given on questions were correlated; those engaged stayed engaged for the entire six lessons, and those who were engaged were engaged throughout all six lessons, that is 9 to 12 questions per lesson, 63 total questions. However, the data on the instruments measuring moral reasoning, judgement bias, and implicit bias was not significant. The findings showed no significant difference between the intervention group and the control group for either the Hahm-Beller Values Choice Inventory and the Judgement about Inclusion Instrument. Additionally, the data was not analyzed on the Harvard Implicit Bias Test due to validity and reliability questions towards the instrument. However, the results suggest the intervention and the instruments used to measure the intervention were not measuring the same concept as the correlations on the questions within the intervention were significant with each other. Additionally, reflections from the intervention were analyzed and cognitive dissonance occurred. From the findings, it is strongly suggested pre-service professionals should have a perspective taking intervention toward people with physical disabilities, as it will help the individual understand what it is like to be a person with a physical disability. Additionally, understanding how to treat a person with a physical disability as a sacred being and not an it (Buber, 1970) is pushing them into cognitive dissonance which is the goal of education.doctoral, Ph.D., Movement & Leisure Sciences -- University of Idaho - College of Graduate Studies, 2020-0
Understanding the Role of Electrical Stimulation on Free Calcium Concentration, Activation of Calpain, and Final Product Tenderness of Beef
No full textConsumers report tenderness to be the most important palatability trait when consuming meat. Calpains are calcium activated proteases that are considered the primary proteolytic system involved in postmortem protein degradation, leading to improved tenderness. Calpain-1 is activated early postmortem while calpain-2 is activated after several days or even weeks postmortem. Activating calpain-2 earlier postmortem has the potential to improve tenderness after fewer days of aging. The objectives of this thesis are to 1) determine the effect of electrical stimulation on free calcium concentration, calpain activity and final product tenderness of the longissimus lumborum (LL) and semimembranosus (SM) and 2) introduce the unidentified 3rd band of calpain analyzed in this project. Twenty-three beef steers were harvested and stimulated (S) or not stimulated (NS) at exsanguination and at 1-hour postmortem, resulting in four stimulation treatments: NS-NS, NS-S, S-NS, or S-S. Overall, stimulation treatment was not shown to influence native calpain-1 or -2 activity, autolyzed calpain-2 activity, WBSF, or consumer sensory analysis in the LL. It did, however, impact autolyzed calpain-1 activity. In the SM, stimulation treatment did not influence free calcium concentration, calpain activity, WBSF or consumer sensory scores. Interestingly, during the analysis, an unidentified 3rd band of calpain was observed in many samples. Stimulation treatment was not significant in determining whether the 3rd band of calpain was observed. Analysis was conducted by the University of Idaho Mass Spectrometry Core Lab to classify the unidentified 3rd band using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS), with little success. Further analysis needs to be conducted to characterize the unidentified 3rd band and determine its relation to calpain-1, if any. In the present study, stimulation treatment did not significantly improve free calcium concentration, overall calpain activity, or final product tenderness. Other interventions need to be studied to activate calpain activity earlier postmortem and improve final product tenderness.masters, M.S., Animal and Veterinary Science -- University of Idaho - College of Graduate Studies, 2020-0
A Survey of Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio in Primary Cereal Crops in Idaho and Decomposition Rates of Those Residues in situ
No full textBarley (Hordeum vulgare L.), corn (Zea mays L.), and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) are commonly grown cereal crops throughout the state of Idaho. Residue management from these cereal crops should be considered to optimize residue-soil nutrient availability and improve factors which affect residue decomposition. High carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratios and biomass accumulation for barley, corn, and wheat are commonly found post-harvest and effects from this are important for soil N availability in subsequent crops. The first study of this thesis sought to increase the understanding of the C:N ratios of barley and wheat. This was accomplished via a sample survey which was conducted throughout multiple locations with the objective to assess the C: N ratio of residue and biomass accumulation from various cultivars throughout Idaho. The results from this survey study showed high variability of C:N ratios between locations and no differences between cultivars. In contrast, biomass accumulation from the survey measured greater output from irrigated regions in general and differences were seen between locations and cultivars separately. The second study of this thesis focused on common practices for residue decomposition. Residue may be managed by placing the residue on the soil surface (no till) or by incorporation (tillage). Factors which may influence the rate of residue decomposition include residue source, C:N ratio, and cultural practices in the field (e.g., fertilizer nitrogen (N) additions). Therefore, a field study was set up with the objective to utilize residual cereal crop biomass and assess variation of in-field residue decomposition as affected by N fertilizer rates and residue placement (surface vs. incorporated) between fall and springtime. In general, the findings from the field study measured greater carbon and weight loss from incorporated treatments.masters, M.S., Plant, Soil and Entomological Sciences -- University of Idaho - College of Graduate Studies, 2020-0
Improving Beef Cattle Reproductive Efficiency: Hormonal and Fertility Responses to Different Doses of Prostaglandin F2⍺ in Postpartum Beef Cows Subjected to a Timed-Artificial Insemination Protocol
No full textLess than 10% of beef cow-calf producers in the United States currently implement reproductive technologies such as estrous synchronization and artificial insemination (AI) as a component of their breeding management program. Synchronization protocols aid in the synchrony of estrus and ovulation to improve cattle fertility, however, many protocols often require multiple hormone injections and animal handlings. Development of estrous synchronization protocols that limit number of injections, cost, and labor inputs, without compromising fertility, may improve the adoption of fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) within the beef industry. The main objective of the first study was to compare the effect of a single injection of high-concentration (HICON) prostaglandin F2⍺ (PGF) or two conventional PGF injections (2PGF) administered 8 h apart at controlled internal drug release insert (CIDR) removal, on reducing serum progesterone (P4) before FTAI and on subsequent pregnancy per artificial insemination (P/AI) in postpartum beef cows (n=404) synchronized with a 5-d CO-Synch + CIDR breeding program. Serum P4 concentration at the time of insemination is a determining factor of cattle fertility in FTAI protocols, as lower concentrations have been associated with increased P/AI. A secondary objective of the first study was to assess the relationship between P4 concentration at the time of insemination and probability of pregnancy to AI. Progesterone concentrations at AI were lesser in 2PGF than HICON, however, P/AI was not different between treatments. Probability of pregnancy decreased as P4 concentration at AI increased and the optimal P4 cutoff concentration to optimize fertility was determined at 0.43 ng/mL. Intramuscular (i.m.) route of injection is commonly used to administer products used in estrous synchronization in beef cattle; however, this route causes greater incidence of injection-site lesions and tissue damage associated with reduced beef carcass quality and tenderness than subcutaneous (s.c.) routes. Therefore, use of s.c. administration is favorable to reduce carcass damage. The objective of the second study was to compare the ability of a single s.c. injection of high-concentration PGF (HICON-SC) with two i.m. injections of conventional PGF 6 h apart (2PGF-IM) to reduce P4 concentration and induce luteolysis by the time of AI in a 5-d CO-Synch + CIDR synchronization program in postpartum beef cows. A similar decline in P4 concentration occurred in both treatments following PGF, indicating s.c. administration of HICON could be an effective alternative to i.m. administration of the conventional double PGF dose to induce luteolysis before AI in the 5-d CO-Synch + CIDR protocol.masters, M.S., Animal and Veterinary Science -- University of Idaho - College of Graduate Studies, 2020-0
Comparative Phylogeography and Community Ecology Reveal Evolutionary Processes That Contribute to Ecosystem Structure Through Time
No full textThe research presented here lies at the intersection of phylogeography, phylogenetics, and community ecology and aims to understand how evolutionary processes have contributed to the diversity seen around the world. This diversity is investigated at the population, species, and community level in order to understand the various evolutionary processes that impact these levels. At the population and species level, phylogeographic inference is used to understand when and how populations diverge, maybe due to geographic barriers, and whether they experience gene-flow after said divergence. For this, we specifically investigate plant species in the Pacific Northwest temperate rainforest to understand how geologic and climatic history of the region has influenced the genetic structure of the populations throughout their range. While this is done at the population and species level, inferences across species can be aggregated to make inferences about the community and ecosystem as a whole. To more specifically understand the processes influencing community structure at the community level, we also model the process of many species assembling into a community at once, sometimes experiencing habitat pressure or interspecific competition for resources. We can then use these models to make inferences about the pressures influencing diversity patterns across communities. By investigating evolutionary and ecological processes at the population, species, and community level, we are able to interpret the effect of many different processes impacting diversity at various scales. With the myriad of threats facing all life on earth, being able to use what we know about the impacts of climatic, geographic, and historical processes on evolutionary trajectories will make for better predictions of future sustainability and ecosystem survival.doctoral, Ph.D., Bioinformatics & Computational Biology -- University of Idaho - College of Graduate Studies, 2020-0
Silicon Photonics: Overview, Building Block Modeling, Chip Design and its Driving Integrated Circuits Co-Design
No full textThis dissertation presents a complete design flow for realizing our proposed silicon- based photonics circuits, which are able to generate multi-level optical signal outputs. The design flow only depends on the tools that are accessible to traditional integrated circuits designers and gets rid of the need to produce specific design tools for photonic circuit de- sign. The proposed photonics circuits use the heterogenerous integration method where the optical circuits are fabricated using IMEC-ePIXfab SiPhotonics ISIPP50G technology and the electrical circuits are simulated using the PDK of TSMC 65nm technology. Compact Verilog-AMS modelings for optical blocks are developed, which include the models for continuous-wave lasers, couplers, photodiodes, electro-absorption modulators and waveguides/phase-shifters. All of the parameters used in the models above are derived from either the testing results of the standard microring modulator or the corresponding optical devices provided by IMEC ISIPP50G technology. A coupling-based microring modulator, which is based on IMEC ISIPP50G technology, has been proposed and its design is realized using Verilog-A model in Cadence Virtuoso. The final simulation results show that the proposed coupling-based microring modulator is able to realize extinction ratio as large as 46dB when both the coupling coefficient tuning and resonant wavelength shifting are both enabled. A photonic chip with the block size of 2500μm and 2500μm is fabricated using IMEC ISIPP50G technology and a PCB board for testing has been designed. Testing plan has been proposed and prospective testing results have been discussed. A three-segment microring modulator—a proposed electro-optical modulator—has been proposed and is implemented in a scheme where equispaced optical PAM-4 output can be generated. The proposed scheme includes both coarse and precise tuning, which can be further categorized into lower “1” tuning and higher “0” tuning. A transmitter structure emanated from the proposed scheme is realized using TSMC 65nm LP technology and its simulation results derived from the extracted layout show 25-Gb/s optical PAM-4 output with the extinction ratio of 9dB and the PAM-4 energy efficiency of 0.5pJ/bit. The adapt- ability of the scheme can be justified by the following two results: a high percentage of level separation mismatch ratio (RLM ) can be achieved when ±10% phase-shifter length variation inside the three-segment microring is present; a total number of 4800 possible PAM-4 levels can be achieved.doctoral, Ph.D., Electrical and Computer Engineering -- University of Idaho - College of Graduate Studies, 2020-0