Digital Commons Network^™

Quantifying Protein Quality To Understand Protein Homeostasis, Hsien-Jung Lavender Lin

Theses and Dissertations

Proteins are the center of all biochemical reactions in living organisms. Proteins need to be present at the right time, in the right place, with the correct concentration and have the right shape to carry their designated function. Protein homeostasis is when all proteins in the proteome are in functional balance, and such balance is maintained by synthesis, folding, and degradation machinery. When protein homeostasis is lost, organisms start to age and develop diseases. To truly unveil disease mechanisms and provide more efficient means for treatment and prevention, we need a holistic understanding of the mechanism of protein homeostasis. Currently, …

Risk Modeling Of Pathogens In Captured Rainwater: Application Of Qmra To Human Exposure From On-Site, Non-Potable, Fit-For-Purpose Reuse, John M. Johnston, David Demaree, Santosh Ghimire, Michael Jahne

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Rainwater collected on suburban and municipal properties from rooftops and stored in barrels and cisterns is a potential, alternative source of water for non-potable uses such as vehicle and equipment washing, in addition to potable use with an appropriate level of treatment. As good stewards of public resources, homeowner and municipal use of rainwater benefits cities by decreasing stormwater flow from the property to sewers and also decreases reliance on city drinking water. But is roof-collected rainwater safe to use, and what standards exist to evaluate human health risk? Because the water isn’t normally being ingested, protozoa and bacterial pathogens …

Personality-Dependent Responses Of Elk To Predatory Pursuits, Rob Found

Western North American Naturalist

Personality in wildlife has been linked to several ecological processes including mortality risk, facultative migration, and behavioral plasticity. In this paper I examined the relationship between personality and antipredator tactics exhibited by 20 wild female elk (Cervus canadensis) in Jasper National Park, Alberta. Two observers conducted 106 separate chases designed explicitly to resemble predator pursuits by wolves, the main predator of elk. We quantified and classified elk tactical responses during each chase. Elk with “shy” type personalities responded to 84% of predator-resembling pursuits by employing speed-based tactics to outrun pursuers or rejoin conspecifics. Elk with “bold” type personalities …

Genomic Analysis And Therapeutic Development Of Bacteriophages To Treat Bacterial Infections And Parasitic Infestations, Daniel W. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Microbiomes are an extremely vast and complex network of microorganisms. Bacteriophages are a key factor in the microbial health of an ecological system and impact the evolution of pathogenic bacterial strains. Bacteria and the phages that infect them have an intricate relationship due to the dependency on the bacterial host for phage replication, the ability of the phage to lyse and kill its host, and the horizontal gene transfer between the host and phage. This thesis aimed to understand how bacteria and the bacteriophages that infect them impact an ecological system, with a focus on disease states. By analyzing all …

A Valley Lost To Time, Washington C. Pearce

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis delivers a playable and functional module for the 5 th Edition of the World’s Greatest Role-Playing Game. The Critical Introduction uses reader response and performance theory to create a framework for reading role-playing games as literature, explains some of the recent scholarship surrounding role-playing games, and details the creative process and work of the creative thesis.

In A Valley Lost to Time, Adventurers recruited by the Trellin Prime Minister are sent westward, over the Drazlin mountain range, with a mission to discover the fate of a decades-lost failed colony. The route is long and treacherous, passing through a …

Deriving Trajectories From Videos To Calibrate And Validate Agentbased Models, Judith Verstegen, Anna Formaniuk, Benjamin Karic, Lars Haalck

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The ability to move is an integral part of life, enabling the search for food or the escape from potential dangers. These behaviors are always embedded in socio-ecological systems which provide a context and a variety of stimuli. Agent-based models (ABMs) help to understand the socio-ecological systems by computationally describing the movement and interactions of entities on the basis of theory and analyzing the resulting macro-scale dynamics. Despite ABMs being based on theory, calibration is necessary because (i) for most systems the theory is incomplete, (ii) not all attributes of the entities can be measured, (iii) attributes naturally vary, and …

Review Of Fecal Pathogens In Roof Animals To Model Health Risk Of Rainwater Harvesting, David Demaree

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The practice of collecting precipitation from rooftops (roof runoff) is an environmentally friendly way to supplement water supplies. One of the barriers to implementation of roof runoff in the US is limited risk-based treatment guidance for the use of roof runoff. Guidance is limited due to sparse information, environmental factors, roof runoff infrastructure, as well as the variability of pathogen characteristics (infection rate, prevalence, intensity, and virulence). A method for the estimation of health risks associated with roof runoff, is to assume there is a direct relationship between the pathogens in roof runoff and the pathogens in the feces of …

Model-Data Marriage Counselling: Resolving The Age-Old Conflict Between Models And Data (And Between Those Who Model And Those Who Measure), Felix Egger, Maria P. Vilas, Matthew P. Adams, Hayley Langsdorf

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Models and data (and those who generate them) have an important but sometimes uneasy relationship. Effective integration of information from models and data is the “holy grail” for decision-makers and those seeking to understand environmental systems. Data provide snapshots of what is happening in the system, which is essential for thorough model calibration, validation, and testing. In contrast, models can explore the underlying processes driving the observed behaviour. Thus, models and data provide complementary information about a system. In cases where model predictions do not agree with observations, resolving any discrepancies is essential for model-data integration and can be a …

Later (Later.Com) – Tool To Help With Social Media Posting, Griffin Davis

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

As advertised: Later is the all-in-one social marketing platform for the top social networks. Plan, analyze, and publish your content in a few clicks — so you can save time and grow your business.

Womans Exponent Transcription File For Download, Lula Greene Richards, Emmeline B. Wells, Annie Wells Cannon, Harold B. Lee Library

The Woman’s Exponent Transcription

No abstract provided.

Promo (Promo.Com) – Video And Ad Creation Tool, Naomi Anna Lao

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

As advertised: Bring any idea to life in minutes - by yourself. Easily create compelling video ads, social media videos, product videos, explainer videos and more. The perfect solution for giving your brand a voice at scale.

Emphasizing The Importance Of Long-Term Marketing Strategies For Nonprofits Utilizing Social Media, William Baumert

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

In order for nonprofit organizations to tackle complex societal issues, support from public or private sectors is generally required. Marketing to these sectors through social media channels is highly beneficial due to the inexpensive and adaptable nature of the platforms, however creating and deploying an effective marketing campaign through these mediums can be challenging. This piece will aim to emphasize important points for nonprofits to consider when creating long-term marketing strategies revolving around social media.

Canva (Canva.Com) – Tool To Design Online Social Media Posts, Naomi Anna Lao

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Canva is a free graphic design platform for registered nonprofits, that is beginner-friendly and time-efficient. At first glance, Canva’s immense variety of tools and resources all on one platform is intimidating however they make it easy to create unique, trending, and compelling content for all purposes.

The Telsam Protein Polymer Significantly Improves The Speed And Propensity Of Crystallization Of Target Proteins, Seyedeh Sara Soleimani

Theses and Dissertations

While conducting pilot studies into the usefulness of fusion to TELSAM polymers as a potential protein crystallization strategy, we observed novel properties in crystals of two TELSAM–target protein fusions, as follows. (i) A TELSAM–target protein fusion can crystallize more rapidly and with greater propensity than the same target protein alone. (ii) TELSAM–target protein fusions can be crystallized at low protein concentrations. This unprecedented observation suggests a route to crystallize proteins that can only be produced in microgram amounts. (iii) The TELSAM polymers themselves need not directly contact one another in the crystal lattice in order to form well-diffracting crystals. This …

Ataruz Archaeological Field School Preparation Class, Jacob Fuge

Instructional Psychology and Technology Graduate Student Projects

The purpose of this project was to prepare students who will participate in an archeological excavation in Ataruz, Jordan. Typically, the directors invite anywhere from five to eight BYU students to go on the excavation, which takes place in July during the summer term of Brigham Young University. The client for the project is a professor in the Ancient Scripture Department at Brigham Young University and a co-director of the dig. Normally, the students who participate have had no experience or formal training in archeological fieldwork. The time to work on the excavation is usually limited to two to four …

Lowering The Technological Barrier In Developing, Sharing And Installing Web Gis Applications, Rohit Kumar Khattar

Theses and Dissertations

Portability of web applications between web servers of different organizations can be challenging and can complicate sharing and collaborative use of such tools. Given the distributed nature of the web, this lack of portability is usually not a concern because a user in one organization can link to and use a web application hosted by another organization. However, access control or differentiation may be needed by an organization in terms of area of interest, input data, analytical techniques, access control, presentation, branding, and language. This is true for many government organizations, and their associated web sites, and servers. In such …

Predicting Columbian Sharp-Tailed Grouse Lek Occurrence In Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, Jonathan D. Lautenbach, John A. Stephenson, Jeffrey L. Beck

Western North American Naturalist

Many North American populations of lekking grouse have declined across their ranges, and understanding and evaluating population trajectories can assist in better managing these iconic species. Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is a subspecies of Sharp-tailed Grouse that has declined across its range in the Intermountain West over the past century. Management of this species primarily focuses on habitat around leks; therefore, knowing where Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse leks occur is key to their conservation. We used a resource selection framework to predict lek occurrence in an area with multiple known leks in Carbon County, Wyoming. We used …

Exploring Melatonin As A Treatment For Oral Ulcers, William H. Sutherland

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The hormone melatonin is best known for its role in the sleep-wake cycle, but its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects have significant implications that have not been fully explored in oral health. Some studies use melatonin to treat gastrointestinal ulcers, including duodenal ulcers and oral mucositis, but we found no study reporting its effects on more common oral ulcers, like aphthous stomatitis. We hypothesize that the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant characteristics of melatonin could effectively prevent and heal oral ulcers. In this paper, we review the literature on melatonin to propose its use as a treatment for oral ulcers. We also include …

"Newstead And I Stand Or Fall Together": Memorial Ecology And Multispecies Agency In Byron's Early Poetry, Taylore Ann Wintch

Theses and Dissertations

Scholars studying memory, literary tourism, and Byron all note the cooperation between author and audience at work in memorials--be it in terms of speech and response, hospitality and reception, or memory and forgetting. None, however, address the environment at Newstead as an agentic being involved with Byron's memorial legacy. Byron acknowledged multispecies beings as important actors in his eventual legacy. Through some of his early poems, we see the land under and around Newstead Abbey, as well as its nonhuman life, exercising agency and affecting Byron's memory. I limit my analysis to Byron's early poetry partly to trace how a …

Anxiety Of Struggling Readers And Excelling Readers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Chelsey Taylor Lemmon

Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety is the most reported negative emotion in the academic setting. One of the specific forms of anxiety that children can experience is reading anxiety (RA). Children who experience RA are often at risk for reading failure; likewise, children who experience reading failure are likely to experience RA. Children who excel at reading can also experience anxiety, often in the form of harm avoidance. Bibliotherapy has been shown to help to mitigate the effects of specific types of anxiety in children. The purpose of this study was to understand the anxiety of children who excel at reading and children at …

Classification And Creation Of Design Tools And Methods For Social Impact Considerations In Engineering For Global Development, Andrew Gary Armstrong

Theses and Dissertations

Every product has economic, environmental, and social impacts whether or not those impacts are explicitly considered. These impacts affect society and are an important part of engineering design. "Triple Bottom Line Sustainability" focuses on economic, environmental, and social sustainability and has become an important goal for those designing products. Economic considerations are an established part of the engineering design process. Environmental considerations are increasingly being considered in design including the development of design standards and widely used methodologies. Social impact considerations, however, lack the standardization and wide inclusion of economic and environmental considerations. This results in reduced and unbalanced consideration …

Females With Autism Traits: A Retrospective Look At Developmental Trajectories, Greer Caroline Willman Finster

Theses and Dissertations

It is becoming more apparent in recent years that many females with autism spectrum disorder (autism) have not been identified, sometimes until adulthood. Most of what is known about early signs of autism is based on predominantly male symptomatic presentations or data gathered from females with autism who are severely affected by autism and co-morbid conditions such as intellectual developmental disorder. One of the issues contributing to the under diagnosis of females is that the presentation of symptoms or traits and developmental histories of females with autism may not be the same as those of males. There is a gap …

Authenticity Without Belief In Western Tibetan Buddhist Practice, Hannah Sharp-Wang

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a study of Tibetan Buddhism as practiced by adult converts in Utah. Semiotic ideology is a thread throughout the paper that functions as an explanatory mechanism for describing the ontological variations between beginning and seasoned practitioners. I show examples of clashing semiotic ideologies that demonstrate differing assumptions in understanding of how the world operates. In Chapter 2, I explore the concept of interiority and the taken for granted assumptions of religiosity in the West. The tensions introduced in Chapter 2 are addressed in Chapter 3, which explores how practitioners resolve concerns about authenticity through reliance on their …

Practices And Innovative Technologies For Enhancing Microlearning, Jiahui Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Competency-based education (CBE) has become well-accepted as a powerful way to personalize learning. Today's advanced technologies have enhanced CBE even further. Practitioners in the field are seeking means to take advantage of technology to increase CBE's effectiveness and efficiency, especially for adult learners. Microlearning and digital open badges are two examples. This dissertation, which consists of three articles, aimed to provide more in-depth insights into the two innovative approaches. The first article is a literature review of the current understanding of microlearning. While microlearning is commonly defined as breaking down learning into manageable bite-size chunks, the review of the existing …

Full Issue - Nonprofit Resources

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Learn more about nonprofit resources and what's available. Did you know? There are 10 million nonprofits and charities working around the world.

The majority of US based nonprofit make under $1 million a year, with the most of these nonprofits being small, making under $50,000 a year. As these nonprofits work to solve community and global issues, they struggle with limited resources and funding. There is a great need to provide these nonprofits tools and resources to help in their efforts.

A research study from 2020 shows that when nonprofits work together, outcomes are improved (Holzer, 2020). There is a …

Quantum Decoherence In Time-Dependent Anharmonic Systems, Ty Beus

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation studies quantum decoherence in anharmonic oscillator systems to monitor and understand the way the systems evolve. It also explores methods to control the systems' evolution, and the effects of decoherence when applicable. We primarily do this by finding the time evolution of the systems using their Lie algebraic structures. We solve for a generalized Caldirola-Kanai Hamiltonian, and propose a general way to produce a desired evolution of the system. We apply the analysis to the effects of Dirac delta fluctuations in mass and frequency, both separately and simultaneously. We also numerically demonstrate control of the generalized Caldirola-Kanai system …

Tensions And Pitfalls In The Depiction Of Multiracial Characters In Children's Picture Books: A Critical Content Analysis, Melody Green

Theses and Dissertations

The United States is becoming more and more multiracial, but little research attends to multiracial characters in children’s picture books. This research employed a critical content analysis using the lens of critical race theory to examine eight children’s picture books published after 2000. This study sought to answer two questions. First, using a critical race theory lens, what patterns and tensions emerge in the depictions of multiracial characters in children’s picture books? Secondly, how do the depictions of multiracial characters in children’s picture books perpetuate deconstructed conceptualizations of multiracial identity? Common themes that presented themselves in this study were (a) …

Two New Late Quaternary Avifaunas From The East-Central Great Basin With The Description Of A New Species Of Falco, Steven D. Emslie, Jim I. Mead

Western North American Naturalist

We report 2 new late Quaternary avifaunas from cave deposits in Snake Valley, White Pine County, eastern Nevada, that provide new records of extinct and extant species in the east-central Great Basin. These avifaunas collectively represent at least 24 species, including the most northern inland record of California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) in western North America and a new species of kestrel (Falco sp.) described herein. Two extralimital living species also were identified—the Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) and Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)—and are the first fossil records of these species in the Great Basin. …

Wild Ixalan: A Creative Case Study On Mythology, Magic, And More, Lincoln Teichert

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Magic: The Gathering, a subsidiary of Hasbro, releases packs of cards periodically, unified by a cast of dozens of characters who can travel from plane to plane—the rough equivalent of interstellar travel—but games feature battles between these powerful mages (represented by players) across the multiverse of fictional locations. Before quarterly set releases, short stories are published on Magic’s website, a form of content marketing that has spurred sales for over a quarter-century. Magic draws on myths from across the world, along with diverse geographies and technological development. This paper offers an overview of trading card games, sketches what a Magic …

Effects Of An External Oscillation Device On Phonation Threshold Pressure (Ptp), Brittany Tiffany Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of external laryngeal vibration on voice function. The current study was based on a recent pilot study using silicone vocal folds that demonstrated a decrease in phonation threshold pressure (PTP; cmH2O) when an external oscillation was applied to the vocal folds. Using a within-subjects experimental design, a custom external oscillatory device was fitted to the posterior portion of 12 excised pig larynges using a traditional benchtop phonation setup. For each larynx, phonation was elicited during 30 repeated trials, including 15 with and 15 without external oscillation. During the phonation …