Digital Commons Network^™

Incorporating A Robot In Intervention With Children With Asd: The Effect On Tantrum Behaviors, Tayler Bodon Whitmer

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effect of intervention involving a humanoid robot on challenging or tantrum behaviors of four children with low-functioning autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The current work was part of a larger study involving the effect of the robot on functional communication skills on a variety of different interactions with different communication partners. All participants took part in a single-subject, multiple-baseline design with various session types including baseline, traditional play-based treatment, treatment including the robot, and follow-up sessions. For the purpose of this study, only the sessions including treatment with the robot where the robot interaction occurred at the …

Galvanic Corrosion Of Magnesium Coupled To Steel At High Cathode-To-Anode Area Ratios, Dila Ram Banjade

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the impact of galvanic coupling of magnesium to steel on the corrosion rate, surface morphology, and surface film formation was investigated. In particular, the role of self-corrosion was quantified as previous studies showed discrepancies between model predictions and experimental results that were likely due to significant self-corrosion. This experimental study examined the corrosion of Mg coupled to steel in 5 wt% NaCl at cathode-to-anode area ratios that ranged from 5 to 27. Results showed that self-corrosion was significant and accounted for, on average, one-third of total corrosion. Moreover, self-corrosion varied with time and cathode size, and was …

Authoritative Coaching: Building Youth Through Athletics, Christian S. Brinton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the existence and extent of the relationship of coaching styles and adolescent athletes in terms of Self Determination Theory (SDT). Specifically, this study adapted Baumrind’s parenting styles of authoritative, authoritarian, and permissiveness to coaching styles and examined the relationship between each coaching style and the tenets of SDT, namely competence, autonomy, and relatedness. This study also examined the effect of the number of years an athlete participated in a chosen sport, the number of years played on a specific team, and the number of years played for a particular coach. The sample …

Impact Of Heart-Rate Variability Biofeedback On Major Depression Disorder In Resting-State Fmri, Hiu Wai Caldwell

Theses and Dissertations

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common psychiatric illnesses and causes significant disturbances in daily functioning. Research on heart-rate variability (HRV) biofeedback training suggests that HRV is an efficacious adjunct to psychotherapy in reducing depressive symptoms. The purpose of this study was to examine neurological changes in depressed individuals who were randomized to either a psychotherapy plus HRV biofeedback training or to a treatment as usual group. A control group with no history of depression was also studied. We collected psychological, physiological, and imaging data from 30 participants (10 in an experimental group, 10 in a treatment …

Teacher Participation And Motivation Inprofessional Development, Krystal A. Hill

Theses and Dissertations

Although professional development is accepted as important for making educational improvements, some have been unsuccessful due to how the teachers choose to participate, and the lack of motivation in teachers to attend or implement the suggested changes. A case study of secondary mathematics teachers in a required professional development is used to look at teachers' motivation and participation during the professional development. This study compared mathematics teachers' motivation to attend with ways of participating in order to determine how these influence a teacher's intent to change. It was found that certain aspects of motivation and participation does influence a teacher's …

An Historical Ethnography Of A Rural School Music Program: A Case Study, Robert C. Lacey

Theses and Dissertations

Every school music program has a history and a culture. This thesis was a study synthesizing those two elements, seeking to explore the past culture of a rural school music program primarily through interviews with former members of this culture. Throughout are examples of how music teachers, music students, administrators, and community members interacted over the course of approximately 30 years. From these interactions, the researcher drew insights about patterns of teacher behavior that could improve or hinder progress in a music program, including the quality of interpersonal relationships, the value of a teacher trying to integrate in a community …

Effect Of Gender, Guilt, And Shame On Byu Business School Students' Innovation: Structural Equation Modeling Approach, Rasha Mohsen Qudisat

Theses and Dissertations

Innovative people seize the opportunity to make lives better and more comfortable, which contribute to economy growth and financial gain. Stakeholders study innovativeness of business students, in depth, to understand gender differences, and the factors affecting students' innovativeness. Literature explains how males and females differ in their proneness to guilt and shame. However, a model that explains the dynamic of guilt, shame, and gender on innovativeness will help make policies to improve students' innovativeness. This study describes factor analysis approach to examine the TOSCA-3 subscales guilt, shame, and the DNA instrument of innovativeness. It also describes the measurement invariance across …

Loss Aversion And Perspective Taking In The Sunk-Cost Fallacy, Veronika Rudd Tait

Theses and Dissertations

The sunk-cost fallacy (SCF) occurs when an individual makes an investment with a low probability of a payoff because an earlier investment has already been made. It is considered an error because a rational decision should not factor in now-irretrievable investments, as they do not affect current outcome likelihoods. Previous research has measured the tendency to commit the SCF by using hypothetical scenarios in which participants must choose to make a future investment or not after making an initial investment. There are many theories as to why people commit the SCF. Loss aversion, which is the preference for uncertain over …

A Corpus-Based Analysis Of Russian Word Order Patterns, Stephanie Kay Billings

Theses and Dissertations

Some scholars say that Russian syntax has free word order. However, other researchers claim that the basic word order of Russian is Subject, Verb, Object (SVO). Some researchers also assert that the use of different word orders may be influenced by various factors, including positions of discourse topic and focus, and register (spoken, fiction, academic, non-academic). In addition, corpora have been shown to be useful tools in gathering empirical linguistic data, and modern advances in computing have made corpora freely available and their use widespread. The Russian National Corpus is a large corpus of Russian that is widely used and …

Superimposed And Auxiliary Dunes Of The Northern Namib Sand Sea: A Ground-Penetrating Radar Study, Clayton K. Chandler

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding modern features allows for their use as analogues for understanding the environments of the past and even environments on other planetary bodies. This study uses Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) to image the near surface sedimentary structures on a large linear dune in the northern Namib Sand Sea and image the sedimentary structure of an auxiliary dune. GPR data was collected using a 200 MHz antenna with a continuous scan method and was processed by removing direct arrival, gain balancing, migration and more which produced the highest resolution imagery from this region to date. Large dune data was analyzed to determine …

The Development Of An Esp Vocabulary Study Guidefor The Utah State Driver Handbook, Kirsten M. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project details research conducted and the method employed to create a tool for acquiring the technical vocabulary from the Utah Driver Handbook. Technical terms were compiled into a vocabulary tool for English as a Second Language (ESL) learners. ESL programs within the state have noted the need for materials to help learners acquire this vocabulary. The tool will assist ESL learners preparing for the written driving exam by reinforcing the vocabulary through various iterations, including flash cards, simplified definitions, and an L1 gloss. Learners preparing for the exam will be able to study difficult vocabulary terms using the …

Syriac Rhetorical Particles: Variable Second-Position Clitic Placement, Patrick Brendon Pearson

Theses and Dissertations

Investigation on second-position clitic phenomena has steadily increased since Wackernagel’s (1892) observations. Researchers have applied contemporary clitic typology to various Semitic languages though Syriac has received little attention. This thesis identifies a group of Syriac rhetorical particles and describes their categorization as clitics, versus words or affixes. It establishes each of the Syriac particles as second-position clitics and provides evidence of this conclusion from a state-of-the-art digitized corpus of Syriac literature. Extending previous Syriac analyses, this thesis describes the nature of attachment of these second-position clitics as enclisis to either the first word or the first constituent/phrase of their domain. …

The Role Of Documentary Film In The Emerging Social Entrepreneurial Culture, Karyn Elizabeth Daley

Theses and Dissertations

Considering the current skepticism surrounding the impact and efficacy of nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations, some believe that a unique category of innovator known as the social entrepreneur may be society’s best hope for bringing innovative, scalable, and systemic solutions to bear on the world’s most intractable problems. Social entrepreneurs, as defined by Ashoka, have a unique set of characteristics that determine not only how they move within the world of social change-making but also how they communicate their ideas and mission to the public.

This exploratory study reviewed how social entrepreneurs currently use documentary film and visual media in their …

Tareas Electivas Educacionales: Una Forma De Motivar El Aprendizaje Independiente En El Aula De Ele, Carina Silvia Coria

Theses and Dissertations

La adquisición de una segunda lengua requiere principalmente tiempo de exposición y práctica. El tiempo disponible en una clase típica de escuela secundaria es insuficiente para lograr competencia lingüística. Es necesario ampliar el tiempo de práctica con actividades que los alumnos puedan realizar fuera del aula. Este trabajo propone el uso de tareas escolares alternativas que los estudiantes pueden elegir de acuerdo a sus intereses. El tiempo dedicado a la práctica independiente es utilizado como medida de evaluación en contraste a la cantidad de ejercicios completados. Con el propósito de encontrar las actividades preferidas por los alumnos, se analizaron los …

The Nature And Function Of Professional Support Networks For Teachers Of English Language Learners, Betsy Lynn Ferguson

Theses and Dissertations

The English learner (EL) population in the United States continues to grow. To improve their pedagogy in working with this population, many educators have received training in English as a Second Language (ESL), but the gap between ELs and their native English speaking peers persists. When teachers engage as members of professional support networks, they are more likely to successfully implement the strategies learned in their ESL professional development (Echevarria, Richards-Tutor, Chinn, & Ratleff, 2011). This study considered the nature and function of the professional support network of a district's ESL-endorsed teachers. Using network theory methods, 257 teachers and other …

Audience Participation In Blue Man Group: Success Through Authentic Character, Adaptable Narrative, And Accessible Space, Haley Lauren Flanders

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between performer and spectator is a constant topic in theatre since audiences are essential to any performance. Some contemporary performances strive to blur the line between the two by allowing audiences to participate during the show. Often, audience participation is despised and therefore avoided by spectators and theatre practitioners. However, Blue Man Group thrives on it due to their authentic character, adaptable narrative, and accessible space. Through my examination of the show as an audience member, I theorize that these three elements control the audience's willingness to participate in the production and in turn make the entire experience …

Third Ventricle Width As A Metric For Fast And Efficient Detection Of Atrophy In Traumatic Brain Injury, Christopher Scott Finuf

Theses and Dissertations

In an average year more than 1.7 million people will experience a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the United States. It is known that atrophy occurs across a spectrum for TBI patients, ranging from mild to severe. Current conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods are inconsistent in detecting this atrophy on the milder end of the spectrum. Also more contemporary imaging tools, although efficient, are too time consuming for clinical applicability. It is for these reasons that a quick and efficient measurement for detecting this atrophy is needed by clinicians. The measuring of third ventricle width had the potential to …

The Right Ear Advantage In Response To Levels Of Linguistic Complexity: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study, Elizabeth Hyatt

Theses and Dissertations

The right ear advantage (REA) phenomenon has been utilized in clinical and research settings to study auditory processing disorders and linguistic lateralization. Previous research has established that the REA is not reliable in its measures within or between individuals. This is likely due to the influence of other variables, such as neuromaturation and attention. One variable that has not been studied in depth in this context is linguistic complexity. It was hypothesized that stimulus conditions with levels of linguistic complexity would elicit corresponding levels of temporal lobe activity. Understanding and controlling the variables that affect the REA will increase the …

Evidence Of Ancient Maya Agriculture In The Bajos Surrounding Tikal, Guatemala, Adam Calvin Parker

Theses and Dissertations

Current Central American agricultural practices are environmentally and economically unsustainable, yet the ancient Maya who lived in the same region thrived for thousands of years. Archaeologists have attempted to understand the factors enabling the prolonged success and ultimate collapse of the Maya societies. Some have proposed that the karst seasonal wetlands, called bajos, that border many Maya sites in the region were an influential factor in the Maya's ability to flourish. For the past decade, researchers have used carbon isotope analyses to identify areas of ancient maize agriculture at Maya archaeological sites. In this study, we collected soil samples from …

Mathematical Interactions Between Teachers And Students In The Finnish Mathematics Classroom, Paula Jeffery Prestwich

Theses and Dissertations

The Finnish school system has figured prominently in the PISA international assessments for over 10 years. Many reasons are given for Finnish success yet few of them focus on what is happening in the mathematics classroom. This study addresses the question of “What does mathematics instruction in the Finnish mathematics classroom look like?” Eight Finnish mathematics classes, from 6th – 9th grade were recorded, translated, and analyzed using the Mathematical Quality of Instruction (MQI) 2013 video coding protocol. Other aspects and observations of these classes also are discussed. Although the study is small, this study gives a view into the …

Protecting Professional Football: A Case Study Of Crisis Communication Tactics Demonstrated During The Concussion Crisis By The National Football League And The Introduction Of Cultural Ingrainment As A Component In Crisis Communications Models, Jordan Todd Mower

Theses and Dissertations

This research analyzes the crisis communications tactics employed by the National Football League at key points during the concussion crisis in relation to strategies recommended by models based on image restoration theory and situational crisis communications theory. The discrepancies between the NFL's tactics and recommended situational tactics, viewed in light of the financial and market increases for the league over the duration of the crisis, show the need for an additional component in accepted crisis communications models. Cultural ingrainment is posited as a component to be added to present models as a mitigating factor of organizational harm in cases of …

Reject Or Redemptive Fathers? A Content Analysis Of Father Portrayals In Top Box Office Family Films, Cassidy Jo Wadsworth

Theses and Dissertations

More research is needed to fully understand the way in which parents, particularly fathers, are portrayed in family films and the effects those portrayals might have. Viewers, particularly parents, need to understand how the material their children view presents reality and how it may shape their children's perspectives of the real world, particularly where the family unit and parenting role are concerned. By exploring these portrayals through the lens of Cultivation Theory, this study sought to answer this overarching question: How are fathers portrayed in family films as opposed to television? This quantitative study explores the top twenty films from …

Cooling Before Super-Eruption: No Role For Rejuvenation In The Cottonwood Wash Tuff Magma Body, Southern Great Basin Ignimbrite Province, Utah And Nevada, Keryn Tobler Ross

Theses and Dissertations

The model of rejuvenation of a near-solidus crystal mush to produce large volumes of crystal-rich magma is tested here by analyzing the mineralogical, chemical, modal, and physical characteristics of the 31.1 Ma super-eruptive (2000 km3) Cottonwood Wash Tuff. It is the oldest in a series of three so-called “monotonous intermediate” ignimbrites from the Indian Peak-Caliente volcanic field in southern Utah and Nevada. A crystal-rich (~50% Pl > Qz ≈ Hbl ≈ Bt > Mag ≈ Ilm > Cpx + Zrn + Ap+ Po) dacite (62 – 69 wt% SiO2), the Cottonwood Wash Tuff is similar in age, volume, mineralogy, crystallinity, and elemental composition …

Springback Force Considerations In Compliant Haptic Interfaces, Dallin R. Swiss

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the potential benefits and challenges of using compliant mechanisms in the design of haptic interfaces. The benefits and challenges are presented with an emphasis on their inherent springback behavior and an active compensation approach. Design criteria for compliant mechanism joint candidates are reviewed and several joints are surveyed. Quantitative calculations of axial stiffness and maximum stress for five candidates are presented. Generalized analytical models of springback force and compensation torque are created to simulate the implementation of each joint candidate in a two degree-of-freedom planar pantograph. We use these models in the development and discussion of an …

Stochastic Simulation Of Lagrangian Particle Transport In Turbulent Flows, Guangyuan Sun

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents the development and validation of the One Dimensional Turbulence (ODT) multiphase model in the Lagrangian reference frame. ODT is a stochastic model that captures the full range of length and time scales and provides statistical information on fine-scale turbulent-particle mixing and transport at low computational cost. The flow evolution is governed by a deterministic solution of the viscous processes and a stochastic representation of advection through stochastic domain mapping processes. The three algorithms for Lagrangian particle transport are presented within the context of the ODT approach. The Type-I and -C models consider the particle-eddy interaction as instantaneous …

An Automated Tool For High Resolution Visualization Applied To Transient Watershed Models, Noah Robert Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

Numeric hydrologic models can aid in water resource management by providing predictive simulations of water behavior. As computers become more advanced, the models developed also become more complex using more data to represent larger areas for forecasting hydrologic behavior. Unfortunately, as the simulations use more data, the output often becomes difficult to manage and share without investing time and effort into setting up server environments or decreasing the quality of the output to compensate for an efficient and effective user experience. A proposed solution to facilitate the accessibility of massive hydrologic model output is through the web-based visualization tool developed …

“I Take--No Less Than Skies”: Emily Dickinson And Nineteenth-Century Meteorology, Kjerstin Evans Ballard

Theses and Dissertations

Emily Dickinson's poetry functions where scientific attention to the physical world and abstract theorizing about the ineffable intersect. Critics who emphasize the poet's dedication to the scientific often take for granted how deeply the uncertainty that underlies all of Dickinson's poetry opposes scientific discussion of the day. Meteorology is an exceptional nineteenth-century science because it takes as its subject complex systems which are inexplicable in Newtonian terms. As such, meteorology can articulate the ways that Dickinson bridges the divide between the unknown and the known, particularly as she relates to the interplay of nature and culture, the role of careful …

Cooling Before Super-Eruption: No Role For Rejuvenation In The Cottonwood Wash Tuff Magma Body, Southern Great Basin Ignimbrite Province, Utah And Nevada, Keryn Tobler Ross

Theses and Dissertations

The model of rejuvenation of a near-solidus crystal mush to produce large volumes of crystal-rich magma is tested here by analyzing the mineralogical, chemical, modal, and physical characteristics of the 31.1 Ma super-eruptive (2000 km3) Cottonwood Wash Tuff. It is the oldest in a series of three so-called "monotonous intermediate" ignimbrites from the Indian Peak-Caliente volcanic field in southern Utah and Nevada. A crystal-rich (~50% Pl > Qz ≈ Hbl ≈ Bt > Mag ≈ Ilm > Cpx + Zrn + Ap+ Po) dacite (62 - 69 wt% SiO2), the Cottonwood Wash Tuff is similar in age, volume, mineralogy, crystallinity, and elemental composition …

Folate Stability In Fortified Corn Masa Flour, Tortillas, And Tortilla Chips, Renee Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

Neural tube defects (NTDs) occur at higher rates in Hispanic populations in the USA. Such populations would benefit from folic acid fortification of corn masa flour (CMF). This study evaluated folate stability in fortified CMFs and products made from the flours, tortillas and tortilla chips. There was no significant loss of folate during the six-month shelf-life of fortified tortilla CMF and tortilla chip CMF. There was a 13% loss (P < 0.05) of folate during tortilla baking and no loss during tortilla chip frying. Both tortillas and tortilla chips showed significant folate losses over the two-month shelf-life for these products, with a 17% loss in fortified tortillas and 9% loss in tortilla chips. Folate in fortified CMFs, tortillas and tortilla chips is relatively stable and comparable to the stability of folate in wheat flour and breads.

Blockade Of Tgf-Ss Signaling Through The Activin Type Iib Receptor With The Small Molecule, Sgi-1252, Jordan David Fuqua

Theses and Dissertations

Antagonism of the activin receptor signaling pathway represents a promising potential therapy for the muscular dystrophies and other muscle wasting disorders (i.e., cachexia or sarcopenia). Previous research has shown that antagonism of activin signaling promotes muscle growth, attenuates muscle wasting, and restores function in both wild type and diseased animals. Our laboratory has recently developed a novel small molecule (SGI-1252) that inhibits activin downstream (i.e., Smad2/3 phosphorylation) signaling. Purpose: In this study we determined how eight weeks of orally administered SGI-1252 affected TGF-ß signaling, whole body mass, individual limb muscle mass, and muscle fiber cross sectional area (CSA). Methods: Wild-type …