Digital Commons Network^™

A Language-Model-Based Chatbot That Considers The User's Personality Profile And Emotions To Support Caregivers Of People With Dementia, Yeganeh Nasiri

Theses and Dissertations

Chatbots are programs that mimic human conversation using Artificial Intelligence (AI). Recent advances in natural language pro- cessing pave the way for chatbots to generate more human-like responses. Therefore, chatbots are finding more complex tasks to perform, such as emotional support which requires both understanding emotions and the ability to properly respond to them. This work presents a chatbot capable of identifying the user's personality and creating responses based on that. During this process, emotion detection is being used to detect and react to users' emotions. The chatbot uses a dynamic knowledge graph to save information as the conversation goes …

Finished, Shayla Frandsen

Theses and Dissertations

Sixteen-year-old Tiny Sinclair begins her first year at Charity Ambrose Finishing School in 1953 already feeling like an outcast: her mother, a glamorous movie star, is dead, and her father is imprisoned under suspicion of being a Communist. All her classmates seem to have it so easy: beautiful Betty is an elegant and popular socialite, while Diane, the richest girl in school, is dangerous and mysterious (and, for some reason, hell-bent on ruining Tiny's life). When a classmate is found dead and Tiny becomes the number one suspect, the situation seems to go from bad to worse. Determined to clear …

Characterizing The Informativity Of Level Ii Book Data For High Frequency Trading, Logan B. Nielsen

Theses and Dissertations

High Frequency Trading (HFT) algorithms are automated feedback systems interacting with markets to maximize returns on investments. These systems have the potential to read different resolutions of market information at any given time, where Level I information is the minimal information about an equity--essentially its price--and Level II information is the full order book at that time for that equity. This paper presents a study of using Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) models to predict the spread of the DOW Industrial 30 index traded on NASDAQ, using Level I and Level II data as inputs. The results show that Level II …

Utilizing Isothermal Titration Calorimetry To Measure Β-Galactosidase Activity In Dairy Products, Tyler Ronald Jarrard

Theses and Dissertations

The dairy industry uses enzymes to make cheese, alter product flavor, and eliminate lactose. The activities of these enzymes have been measured in clear buffered solutions, but because of the limitations of spectrophotometric methods, enzyme activities have not been measured in opaque or colored dairy products where they are used. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) can be used to determine reaction kinetics in opaque and colored solutions by measuring the heat rate from enzyme-catalyzed reactions as a function of time. This study used ITC to measure β-galactosidase activity in opaque solutions of milk, sweet whey, sweet whey permeate, acid whey, and …

Language Modeling Using Image Representations Of Natural Language, Seong Eun Cho

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents training of an end-to-end autoencoder model using the transformer, with an encoder that can encode sentences into fixed-length latent vectors and a decoder that can reconstruct the sentences using image representations. Encoding and decoding sentences to and from these image representations are central to the model design. This method allows new sentences to be generated by traversing the Euclidean space, which makes vector arithmetic possible using sentences. Machines excel in dealing with concrete numbers and calculations, but do not possess an innate infrastructure designed to help them understand abstract concepts like natural language. In order for a …

Pausing In American English: Documenting Native English Speakers' Pausing Patterns, Ammon Hunt

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine more deeply the relationship between pause location and duration and its connection to clause and phrase boundaries for native English speakers (NESs). Previous research has shown pauses produced by NESs to be located at clause boundaries (Brown & Miron, 1971; Hawkins, 1971; Tavakoli, 2011), but little empirical work has been done to probe this issue further. For this research, 80 speech samples, 40 male and 40 female, were randomly selected from the International Dialects of English Archive (IDEA) representing different regions in the United States. Oral data from the read-aloud portion of …

The Impact Of Speech Pause On The Perceived Effectiveness And Likability Of A Speaker's Communication, Rebecca Lyman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how length and location of speech pausing affects a listeners' perception of likability and communication effectiveness. Furthermore, the end goal of this study is to understand how to better assess atypical speech pause for persons with aphasia (PWA). Speech samples were collected from two neurotypical speakers over the age of 75. The speech samples were the recorded responses of picture description tasks found in the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) and the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (BDAE). These speech samples were then modified to include artificial pauses located both within sentence and between …

End Matter

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

No abstract provided.

The Junk Food Problem: Why The Law Allows Advertising To Kids And How To Implement Change, Makenna Hardy, Madison Maloney

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

Rapid technological advancements have increased the methods in which advertisers can reach the public, specifically children. As obesity rates increase among America’s youth, more stringent advertising laws barring junk food exposure have been advocated for. Since the Supreme Court has determined commercial free speech as deserving full First Amendment coverage, the rights of advertisers frequently inhibit productive methods of protecting children from junk food advertisements. This article examines the current standards safeguarding both children and advertisers and the feasibility of restricting advertising to kids within the limitations of commercial speech protections.

The Sino-Soviet Split: A Domestic Ideology Analysis, Caleb Ringger

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

In December 1960, the Peking Review, China’s only English national news magazine, celebrated the “Eternal, Unbreakable Sino-Soviet Friendship” on its front page (Peking Review 1960). The alliance between the world’s largest communist nations certainly seemed ironclad, at least from an outside perspective. But over the next decade, relations between the two allies completely deteriorated, ultimately resulting in bloody confrontation on the Sino-Soviet border, where dozens were killed in violent clashes in March 1969. What accounts for the rapid deterioration in relations between China and the Soviet Union? How could two seemingly close allies turn into enemies so quickly?

Full Issue

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

No abstract provided.

An Ironic Alliance: The Domestic Foundations Of Qatar’S Support For Democratic Revolution Abroad, Jonah Phillips

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

When the wave of revolutions commonly referred to as the Arab Spring engulfed the Arab world in the early 2010s, regional powers were suddenly presented with a potentially complete restructuring of the Arab world’s political and social structure. In the years leading up to the uprisings, rising food prices, soaring unemployment, and widespread political corruption had converged to make the Middle East and North Africa a fertile ground for revolution. The mounting pressure came to a head in December of 2010 when demonstrations broke out across Tunisia following the self-immolation of a street vendor protesting police corruption. The following months …

Against Capital Punishment, Zac Bright, Ben Austin (Editor)

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

Capital punishment has a strong legal precedence in the United States. Capital punishment has been a penal option for those who commit conspicuously wrong acts. For such acts, the punishment seems to be proportional to the crime. In addition to the punishment’s adherence to proportionality, capital punishment mitigates problematic outcomes.

This paper advocates, however, that capital punishment should be classified as “cruel and unusual punishment.” Such violation of the eighth amendment delegitimizes capital punishment. Consequently, The Federal Death Penalty Act of 1994 should no longer be considered a valid law because of its constitutional violation.

The Impact Of Gender On The Acceptance Of Surveillance Technology, Jody Messick

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

A classic dilemma facing governments and citizens alike is the trade-off between privacy and security. This concept is found in the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment, which implies that citizens have a right to be protected against “unreasonable searches and seizures by the government” (FindLaw 2019). The technological revolution, and its implications for privacy, has complicated the nature of this right. Different types of data require different approaches to the privacy versus security tradeoff. A 2003 panel by Wright et. al asks how “sensor data,” data that is collected through technology that tracks a user’s online or real-world movements, should be approached, …

Front Matter

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

No abstract provided.

Internet Censorship In The Time Of A Global Pandemic: A Proposal For Revisions To Section 230 Of The Communications Decency Act, Braxton Johnson, Alex Dewsnup

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

During the era of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, social media sites have justified removing inflammatory opinions pertaining to COVID-19 in attempts to protect and promote public health and safety by automatically categorizing such opinions as misinformation. While the intention of such censorship is noble, it raises the question of whether social media sites and internet service providers in general have too much power when it comes to controlling information. In an age where social media has become intrinsic to the dissemination and formation of opinion, the free exchange of ideas on the Internet is of prime importance, and any threat …

On Civilizational Strategic Studies, Stephen T. Satkiewicz

Comparative Civilizations Review

Given the on-going crises around the world, especially the current war in Ukraine, it has become imperative to analyze the strategic interests of the major geopolitical players in the world. Samuel P. Huntington formulated his controversial “Clash of Civilizations” thesis almost thirty years ago, but this topic has received a resurgence of interest due to Christopher Coker’s research on “civilizational states.” Coker takes this concept a bit further by arguing that different geopolitical actors disagree on how the world should be ordered.

Now is perhaps the most opportune time to examine the relevance of civilizations as well as civilizational theory …

Data For Caveat Emptor-Scan Quality Of Elsevier’S Digital Backfile Pdf Collection, Gregory M. Nelson, Paul Kj Robbins

ScholarsArchive Data

The data set contains two Supplementary Files that contain (1) metadata for 31 of Elsevier's journal backfile packages and (2) metadata and results of a PDF scan quality study.

Large Eddy Simulation For Empirical Modeling Of The Wake Of Three Urban Air Mobility Vehicles, Denis-Gabriel Caprace, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

Recent advances in urban air mobility have driven the development of many new VTOL concepts. These vehicles often feature original designs departing from the conventional helicopter configuration. Due to their novelty, the characteristics of the super-vortices forming in the wake of such aircraft are unknown. However, these vortices may endanger any other vehicle evolving in their close proximity, owing to potentially large induced velocities. Therefore, improved knowledge about the wakes of VTOL vehicles is needed to guarantee safe urban air mobility operations. In this work, we study the wake of three VTOL aircraft in cruise by means of large eddy …

Covid-19 Lockdown: Impact On College Students’ Lives, Wendy C. Birmingham, Lori L. Wadsworth, Jane H. Lassetter

Faculty Publications

Objective: In light of COVID-19, leaders issued stay-at-home orders, including closure of higher-education schools. Most students left campus, likely impacting their employment and social network. Leaders are making decisions about opening universities and modality of instruction. Understanding students' psychological, physiological, academic, and financial responses to the shut-down and reopening of campuses can help leaders make informed decisions. Participants: 654 students from a large western university enrolled during the pandemic shutdown. Methods: Students were invited via email to complete an online survey. Results: Students reported stress, depression, loneliness, lack of motivation, difficulty focusing on schoolwork, restless sleep, appetite changes, job loss …

Not Acting, Reacting: An Analysis Of Reaction Videos, Reactors, Viewers And Authenticity, Cameron Cox

Theses and Dissertations

The digital age has brought about a new type of YouTuber content creator, the Reactor. Reactors film their supposed first-time reaction to various online videos including trailers, film, television etc. Reactors represent a new performance mode at the intersection of audience member and performer attempting to recreate a lost sense of community in an increasingly digitally mediated world. The act of filming one's reaction calls into question the authenticity of a reaction however, it is this very authenticity that drives Viewers to watch the content made by Reactors. Using reaction videos to the first year of Marvel Studios Disney+ shows …

Losing Control To The Controller: Mmorpg Video Game Addiction And Mediating Roles Of Player Motivations, Abbie Speed

Theses and Dissertations

Using a quantitative survey distributed to regular players of MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) (N = 777), the current study employed a correlation matrix and a parallel mediation model to assess the relationship between play frequency, motivating factors, and video game addiction. The results demonstrated that each of these elements were related to one another to varying degrees (p < .001). The motivating factors identified by Yee (2006) included achievement, immersion, and social interaction, which were tested as mediators and indicated that achievement (a1 = 0.2817, p < 0.001; b1 = 0.4073, p < 0.001) and immersion (a2 = 0.3217, p < 0.001; b2 = 0.2574, p < 0.001) are mediators in the relationship of play frequency and addiction. Social interaction was not significant as a mediator (a3 = 0.3217, p < 0.001; b3 = -0.0235, p = 0.6753). Higher levels of addiction were present for those who were motivated by achievement (rewards) and immersion (storyline/diversion) to play more frequently per week. However, those who were motivated by social interaction to play frequently did not demonstrate a statistically significant relationship with higher levels of addiction. Findings suggest that motivating factors of gameplay may have a mediating effect on the relationship between play frequency and addiction.

Impact Of Applying Visual Design Principles To Boardwork In A Mathematics Classroom, Jennifer Rose Canizales

Theses and Dissertations

Though black boards and white boards have been a fundamental tool in the classroom for over a century, little research has been done on how to best design and present information using these boards. My study takes visual design principles and applies them to boardwork in a mathematics classroom to better organize and clarify the content. This research shows that students notice boardwork, have strong opinions on what makes boardwork good, and that the application of design principles on boards has a significant impact on students and the teacher. Students felt their cognitive load was lightened and that they were …

Coming And Going To Zion: Conceptualizing Emigrant Motives Of British Latter-Day Saints, 1840-60, Samuel Benson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the push- and pull-factors that caused Latter-day Saint converts to emigrate from the U.K. between 1840 and 1860. A close reading of firsthand accounts written by 50 emigrants suggests that temporal and spiritual motives are deeply intertwined in the minds of early Mormon emigrants, and distinguishing between the nature of these factors is difficult. Several patterns emerge in the study of these accounts: first, economic factors were intertwined with millenarian belief; second, the allure of charismatic authority (prophets) or communication with God was influential; third, the doctrine of “gathering” was central to their decision-making, though the focus …

Cognitive Effects Of Grammatical Gender In L2 Spanish Acquisition: A Study Among Latter-Day Saint Returned Missionaries, Hannah Cagle

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The current study aims to explore the cognitive effects of L2 Spanish acquisition and the role that spending time in the target language country has on L2 learners’ categorization of inanimate objects. Three groups of participants were analyzed: monolingual English speakers, L2 Spanish speakers that learned their Spanish while serving missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) abroad, and L2 Spanish speakers that learned their Spanish while serving LDS missions in the United States. Using a Qualtrics survey, participants were tasked with pairing a list of adjectives stereotypically associated with males or females (Williams & Bennett, …

Analyzing Online Media Platforms For Hacktivist Group Organization And Proliferation, Quincy Taylor

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The anonymity and lack of censorship online provides the perfect environment for hacker activists to pursue social change. The expansive reach and democratic access to social media has empowered groups to organize and develop messaging to specifically fit an online audience. As social media become ubiquitous, the reputation and use of messaging application have become mainstream. Due to a self-professed focus on privacy, platforms like Telegram have become the norm for hosting the hacktivist communities. The purpose of this research was to understand the features in Telegram messages that correlate with the most engagement from their audience. As expected, the …

Korean Pop Idols: The Dark Side Of The Limelight, Ashley Chase

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Korean pop music has risen to an international consciousness during the surge of the cultural Korean wave. However, many are still unaware of the struggles that idols face when pursuing a career in this industry. Many artists in the industry struggle with their physical and emotional health due to rigorous schedules in training and as a performing group, high expectations of performance and appearance, and restrictive contracts known as “slave contracts” that limit their personal freedoms and financial resources. These factors lead to the industry being highly damaging to the stars that participate in it.

In this documentary, I take …

An Evaluation Of Epa Communication On Climate Change From 1997 To 2022, Adam Johnson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Because the United States is responsible for such a large percent of the world’s emissions, its actions to combat climate change is especially significant. As the main speaker for the U.S. on climate change, it is important the EPA uses effective communication strategies. In this paper we evaluated the effectiveness of the EPA’s communication. To do so, we evaluated publicly available press releases from the EPA from 1997 to 2022. To measure effectiveness, we incorporated a range of factors that climate communication experts have identified as particularly important. Our analysis found that the EPA effectively communicates in light of some …

Creating A Homophone-Based Chinese Language Censorship Evasion Tool, Emily Quan

Undergraduate Honors Theses

As the scope of Chinese language censorship expands, individuals will seek to bypass such censorship efforts. One of the most prevalent techniques in such censorship is automated keyword filtering. This research focuses on building a command-line tool that can bypass automated keyword filters for both traditional and simplified Chinese characters using a two-part approach. The first part involves detecting sensitive words in user-inputted text by using phrase matching techniques to identify character strings that have been censored in the past. The second part centers around generating possible obfuscated homonym alternatives. The tool relies on a compiled list of banned and …

Turn Towards Each Other: Emotional Connection As A Catalyst For Marital Satisfaction, Especially During Times Of Conflict, Brooke W. Williams

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis explores research-based factors that contribute to a healthy relationship and the benefits of creating and enhancing emotional connection in marriage, primarily from John Gottman and Sue Johnson. One outcome of improved emotional connection between spouses is that when conflict occurs – and it will – the couple will be better equipped to behave in mature, respectful, and effective ways. A healthy marriage looks different for individual couples yet all have defining characteristics that turn spouses towards one another and build their marital friendship. Examples include the following: avoiding the four horsemen of the apocalypse (criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and …