Digital Commons Network^™

Developing Custom High Resolution 3d Printers For Microfluidic Device Fabrication, Dallin Scott Miner

Theses and Dissertations

The advancement of microfluidics in biomedical diagnostics and lab-on-a-chip systems is increasingly dependent on the ability to fabricate complex, three-dimensional architectures with high-resolution negative features. While Digital Light Processing Stereolithography (DLP-SLA) has emerged as a leading fabrication method, it remains constrained by a fundamental trade-off between feature resolution and build volume, as well as challenges regarding fabrication consistency and design accessibility. This dissertation presents an integrated ecosystem of hardware, materials, and software designed to overcome these barriers and enable scalable, high-resolution microfluidic fabrication. We first introduce a novel multi-resolution 3D printing technique utilizing a dual-optical engine architecture, comprising a Very …

Speech Motor Variability In Typical Speakers With Blocked, Predictable, And Unpredictable Stimulus Order, Jocelyn L. Turley

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effect on spatiotemporal variability of speech in reading threesyllable, five-syllable, and eight-syllable phrases in blocked, predictable, or unpredictable order. This was done to address the need in the field for a greater understanding of the interactions of stimulus length and stimulus presentation order. The experiment was completed with 35 typically speaking young adult participants. Participants read variable stimuli in the different presentation orders to measure the spatiotemporal variability in different conditions with electromagnetic articulography and audio recording software tracking their speech. The statistical analysis main condition effect revealed a significant impact on all phrase lengths between …

Effects Of A Complexity-Based Approach For Treatment Of Be Verbs In Children With Developmental Language Disorder: A Single-Case Design, Megan Shawnee Rowe

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine whether a complexity-based treatment approach improves the production of BE verb structures in a child with developmental language disorder (DLD). One school-age child with morphosyntactic deficits participated in a single-case AB experimental design. Treatment targeted a complex structure (auxiliary BE questions), and performance was measured using experimental probes, a narrative language sample, and the Test of Early Grammatical Impairment (TEGI). Results indicate a functional relationship between treatment and increased accuracy of the treated structure, with a medium effect size (τ = .695, p = .019). In addition, the participant demonstrated generalization to …

Prosodic Characteristics Of People With Moderate Broca's Aphasia: Measures Of Pitch And Intensity, Morgan Smith Lambert

Theses and Dissertations

Aphasia is an acquired neurogenic language disorder commonly treated by speech language pathologists (SLPs). People with aphasia (PWA) experience various language deficits which impact their ability to effectively communicate with their environment. One of these deficits which impacts individuals with non-fluent aphasia is dysprosody. The purpose of this study is to acoustically evaluate the pitch and intensity of individuals with moderate Broca's aphasia along with age and gender matched control participants across a variety of task types in order to help SLPs better understand how to effectively assess and treat prosody in PWA. This study is an extension of Pickard …

Evaluating C-Band Scatterometer Images For Estimating Deforestation In The Amazon Rainforest, Alex Mcbride

Theses and Dissertations

Satellite-based active microwave sensors have been successfully employed for a wide range of vegetation and soil studies. Spaceborne microwave instruments have proven particularly useful for wide-scale monitoring of the vegetation, especially under conditions that limit the effectiveness of high-resolution optical sensors. Satellite scatterometry can be used to detect and model deforestation in the Amazon rainforest by correlating changes in the C-band backscatter data to observed changes in vegetation coverage. The exploratory methodology developed in this paper applies the longest continuous microwave satellite record to the problem of deforestation. The backscatter measurements taken by the ERS and ASCAT missions provide more …

Lack Of Effects Of Autistic Traits On Adjunct Control Processing, Alyssa Crezee

Theses and Dissertations

Autism has effects on social, communication, and information processing factors (American Psychological Association, 2022; Happé & Frith, 2006). Sentence processing is a type of information processing that synthesizes both discourse and local information (e.g., syntactic and morphological). This thesis explores potential effects of autistic traits on sentence processing in the context of adjunct control structures. In a two-part study, adult English L1 participants (n=118) were administered a self-paced-reading (SPR) task with comprehension and acceptability questions for task 1. Task 2 consisted of an online survey containing three standardized autism questionnaires: the Autism Quotient (AQ; Baron-Cohen et al, 2001), the Broad …

Tectonics: Supporting Information For Deformation Rates And Patterns Of The Emerging Banda Ranges Revealed By Uplifted Coral Terraces In Timor-Leste, Ron Harris, Nicole Cox, Megan Flexhaug, Dorothy Merritts, Chua-Chou Shen, Frederico Santos

ScholarsArchive Data

The supplementary information provided consist primarily of figures detailing coral terrace profiles and terrace inner margin elevation to MIS highstand correlations.

• a general overview of the kind of data files;
• a general description of processing steps used;
• any known imperfections or anomalies in the data.

Examining The Effects Of A Complexity-Based Treatment For One Child With Down Syndrome Using Single-Case Design, Markelle Luddington

Theses and Dissertations

Common language difficulties observed in English-speaking children with Down syndrome (DS) and developmental language disorder (DLD) include challenges with marking tense and agreement on verbs, particularly with BE verbs. In addition, difficulties with syntactic movement may further exacerbate these challenges, often resulting in increased omission errors. A complexity-based approach to treatment target selection has been suggested as one method to address these needs. Therefore, this single-case design study examined the effects of a complexity-based treatment approach for one participant with Down syndrome. Specifically, this study investigated the effects of targeting a more complex treated structure, auxiliary BE questions, and the …

A Unified Behavioral Core: How Cbt And Act Often Do The Same Thing, Davis M. Paxton

Student Works

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) have emerged from the shared heritage of behavioral therapy and learning theory. ACT and CBT are evidenced to be effective and complementary by shared clinical outcomes across various patient demographics. Both therapies share a therapeutic framework or a unified behavioral core, despite formal differences. This behavioral core utilizes functionally equivalent awareness-based and behavior-change processes to accomplish the shared goals of symptom reduction and patient well-being. Psychological flexibility as defined by Hayes can be understood as both an outcome and potentially a mechanism of change for both therapies. Techniques from CBT …

Sequencing Of Chenopodium A-Genome Diploids To Identify Potential Mechanisms Of Speciation: A Preliminary Study, Riley Roser

Theses and Dissertations

The genus Chenopodium is of increasing significance, mainly due to allotetraploid quinoa (C. quinoa Willd.,2x = 4x =36, AABB genome) becoming globally recognized for its high nutritional value and tolerance for stress. Diploid A-genome relatives of quinoa in the Western Hemisphere have shown speciation patterns congruent to adaptive radiation, particularly in the North American continent, where a number inhabit ecological niches while others form mixed populations where they are sympatric. Characterization of the genetic mechanism(s) underlying this rapid speciation, could clarify their potential usefulness for improving quinoa . Previous whole-genome assemblies of AA diploids C. watsonii A. Watson and C. …

Context-Sensitive Control-Flow Analysis For Non-Standard Language Semantics, Tim Whiting

Theses and Dissertations

Control-Flow Analysis (CFA) is a static technique for understanding the execution of higher-order programs without running the code. CFA aids in identifying bugs, assisting program comprehension, and exposing optimization opportunities. Constructing a CFA typically begins with an idealized evaluator--such as an abstract machine or interpreter--and proceeds by approximating components of evaluation to ensure that: (a) the analysis is sound (representing all possible behaviors), and (b) the analysis is guaranteed to terminate (finitely representable). These constraints necessitate a loss of precision, providing an approximation of the values that flow to program locations rather than exact execution traces. This imprecision causes the …

Testing The Moderating Effect Of Self-Compassion On The Relationship Between Perfectionism-Related Discrepancy And Perceived Social Support From Family, Marinne Hammond

Theses and Dissertations

Perfectionism involves an insistence on outstanding performance on tasks to an extreme level. More specifically, perfectionism-related discrepancy is when one subjectively sees a gap between their performance and their expectations for how they should perform. Perfectionism may be linked to mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and social disconnection. The perfectionism social disconnection model asserts that perfectionism can also lead to social withdrawal. Self-compassion involves the acceptance of imperfection; it has been associated with higher perceived social support and has also been shown to attenuate the relationship between perfectionism and psychological distress. This study aimed to further …

A Qualitative Study Of People With Aphasia And Their Experiences With The Bible, Marin Li

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of 4 individuals with aphasia (1 female, 3 male; 3 Catholic, 1 Lutheran) regarding their relationship with and engagement with the Bible. Participants completed three remote sessions via Zoom. In Session 1, participants completed the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence, Fourth Edition, (TONI-4), and the remote Quick Aphasia Battery (QAB). In Session 2, participants engaged in a semi-structured interview led by the researcher. In Session 3, the researchers presented preliminary analysis to receive feedback from participants. Student researchers coded interview transcriptions to develop a structured codebook. Five primary themes describe the participants' experiences with …

A Peer Evaluation Of Safety At Signalized Intersections, Auzton Mitchell Stutts

Theses and Dissertations

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has made significant efforts to reduce crashes at signalized intersections and is constantly seeking to improve safety across the state. The purpose of this research is to quantify and evaluate the safety rates and frequencies at signalized intersections in Utah compared to other states. Once the crashes have been quantified, the secondary purpose is to determine why there may or may not be differences. A survey was developed to understand how states analyze, prioritize, and implement safety at signalized intersections, including different policies, procedures, and countermeasures. Crash data from eight states were analyzed and …

Data Science In The Utah Draft K-12 Standards Of Mathematics, Kate Webster Green

Theses and Dissertations

In today's data-driven world, the field of data science is becoming increasingly important. Research has shown that more job listings in Utah require applicants to have data science skills than ever before. Due to this growing demand, there is a push to begin data science instruction in grades K-12; however, what data science instruction is in grades K-12 is not yet clearly defined. Previous research has identified the skills and processes that make up data science in grades K-12, and several states and research groups have begun developing and implementing data science standards and learning progressions. This study analyzes the …

Design Of Precise Hinges For Optical Space Arrays, Jacob Sutton

Theses and Dissertations

Deployable origami-based arrays offer significant advantages for space optical systems due to their ability to stow compactly and deploy to a large surface area. However, achieving the panel alignment precision required for optical applications remains an open challenge, particularly for non-rigid-foldable patterns such as the flasher, where large relative motion during deployment and geometric constraints at panel interfaces limit the effectiveness of traditional hinge designs. This thesis addresses the precision alignment challenge through the design, prototyping, and experimental testing of novel passive precision hinges for rigid-panel origami-based deployable space arrays. A compact kinematic coupling hinge incorporating Lamina Emergent Torsional (LET) …

Exploring The Impact Of Self-Compassion And Mindfulness Interventions On Teacher Stress, Feedback Delivery, And Student Behavior In Elementary Classrooms, Coral Lynn Koller

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher stress is a persistent challenge that negatively affects educator well-being, classroom climate, and student outcomes. Although the prevalence and impact of teacher stress are well-documented. This single-case multiple baseline study investigated the effects of a structured self-compassion and mindfulness intervention on teacher stress, delivery of positive feedback, and student on-task behavior in three general education elementary teachers. Over a 6- week period, participants engaged in mindfulness and self-compassion practices, tracked through a combination of self-report scales (Daily Stress Response Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, SelfCompassion Scale, and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire) and pre- and post-classroom observations. Results indicated reductions in …

Development Of A Low-Cost Roadside Monitoring System For Identifying High-Emitting Heavy-Duty Trucks, Spencer Larson

Theses and Dissertations

This project investigated the feasibility of using low-cost sensors to identify high-emitting heavy-duty diesel trucks through roadside emissions monitoring. A sampling system was designed and tested in both laboratory and field environments to evaluate sensor performance and measurement reliability. In the laboratory, controlled engine testing enabled direct comparison between low-cost sensors and research-grade instruments to establish baseline accuracy, response time, and sources of uncertainty. These tests demonstrated that while low-cost sensors exhibit greater bias and slower response, several are capable of detecting transient emission events. Field deployments revealed that real-world conditions, such as plume dilution, spatial variability, and short exposure …

Wounded Domestic Ecologies: Ecofeminist Readings Of Gendered Trauma In Purple Hibiscus, Erere Victory Iwhi

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Purple Hibiscus through an ecofeminist and postcolonial ecocritical lens, developing the concept of "wounded domestic ecology" to analyze how gendered violence operates within domestic space. Drawing on trauma studies, particularly J. R. Kurtz and Rob Nixon's concept of slow violence, it argues that harm in the novel is accumulative, produced through repetition, surveillance, ritual, and spatial regulation. Eugene's household functions as an environment that disciplines bodies, governs language, and embeds fear into everyday life. In contrast, Aunt Ifeoma's home in Nsukka offers a counter-ecology structured by sound, shared labor, and dialogic authority, interrupting the …

Storytelling, Gender, And The Double-Empathy Problem, Annie Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

Storytelling has been proposed as a meaningful way to facilitate empathy and connection, particularly across neurotypes. The present study examined whether a live storytelling event influenced perceptions of the autism community, empathy, and interpersonal connection, while also exploring differences on biological sex and levels of autistic traits. Participants completed pre- and post-event measures assessing relationship perceptions and connection, along with standardized measures of empathy and autistic traits. Results showed a significant increase in positive perceptions of the autism community and perceived closeness to storytellers after the event. Engagement, emotional impact, openness, and motivation to support the autism community were all …

The Evolution Of Collaborative Dialogue And Instructional Change Among Secondary Mathematics Teachers Engaged In Peer Observation, Shazia Akbar

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how collaborative dialogue evolved across four cycles of a formative peer observation system involving one veteran and two first-year secondary mathematics teachers, exploring which aspects of that dialogue teachers attributed to changes in their instructional practice. Using the Math Talk for Equitable Participation (MTEP) framework across one academic year, data were drawn from verbatim transcripts of eight collaborative sessions and video-stimulated recall interviews. Four key findings emerged: evidence shifted from planning documents to video of student thinking, deepening pedagogical reasoning; novice teacher contributions grew from peripheral to central; relational trust fostered critical rather than merely affirming …

Dual Language Immersion In Utah Schools: Examining Experiences And Access To Improve Sustainability, Melissa Catherine Jensen Kimball

Theses and Dissertations

Dual language immersion (DLI) programs can impact students in many ways. Multiple researchers have studied the effects of these programs and have found numerous benefits. However, there is little published information on the actual experiences of individuals in schools with a DLI program, including those who are involved in the program and those who were a part of DLI school communities but not directly involved in the program. A. Hawks, J. Rowley, D. Stovall, and their respective thesis and dissertation committees created a survey to better understand the current perspectives of administrators, parents, teachers, and other school staff on these …

Effects Of Divided Attention On Linguistic Tasks And Speech In Healthy Young Adults, Allison Coca

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of divided attention on concurrent speech and linguistic tasks by investigating performance on three linguistic computer tasks (phonological, syntactic, and semantic) and speech kinematics. Thirty-seven healthy young adults (19 male, 18 female) ages 19-30 were recorded performing a sentence repetition task using electromagnetic articulography. Each participant completed the sentence repetition once in isolation and once concurrently with each of the three linguistic computer tasks. Participants also completed computer tasks in isolation. Significant dual-task effects were observed on total number of correct responses in the phonological and syntactic linguistic tasks. No …

Multilingual Assessment Practices In School-Based Speech Language Pathologists, Carolyn Alana Ferguson

Theses and Dissertations

Multilingual assessment is an area of growing relevance and importance in the field of speech language pathology. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current assessment practices among school-based SLPs in relation to their language background status (e.g. monolingual, bilingual, multilingual) and their perceptions on issues related to multilingualism. A survey instrument was created, which asked SLPs to respond to questions on various topics, including demographics, caseload information, assessment practices, statements on multilingual perceptions, and clinical scenarios. There were 267 participants included in the study from across the country with varying ages and years of experience in the …

Harnessing Story To Overcome The Double Empathy Problem Between Autistic And Neurotypical People: Brain-Behavior Relationships, Kate Gifford

Theses and Dissertations

There is a dearth of information on the physical aspects of the Double Empathy Problem which is the bidirectional challenge of shared empathy and understanding between autistic and neurotypical individuals. Storytelling has been shown as means to facilitate empathy between storytellers and listeners in both neurotypical and autistic populations through behavioral research. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a neuroimaging technique used to evaluate the hemodynamic response in the cortex and can be used to compare hemodynamic responses across multiple individuals (i.e., hyperscanning). The purpose of this study was to examine activation in empathy-related brain regions and assess brain synchrony between …

Jo March And "Me": Self-Recognition And Enchantment In Greta Gerwig's Portrayal Of Literary Ambition In Little Women, Britney R. Wells

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

Despite the cinematic success of Greta Gerwig’s 2019 Little Women, literary scholars have yet to compare Gerwig’s directorial moves to Louisa May Alcott’s nineteenth-century novel. Relying on reader-response theory and peer-reviewed literature relevant to Alcott’s text, I examine Gerwig’s statements in interviews following the production of her film, focusing on comments that speak to her subjective response as a reader of Alcott’s novel. Rather than apply reader-response theory to this discussion broadly, I concentrate on what reader-response theorists call self-recognition and enchantment within the context of Gerwig’s response to Alcott’s Little Women. Further acknowledging this paper’s limitations, I …

James Joyce’S “The Dead” And The Irish Nation, Hyrum G. Baird

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

This paper investigates themes of Irish nationalism in James Joyce’s short story “The Dead.” Drawing primarily in Joyce’s 1907 essay “Ireland, Island of Saints and Sages” as a source for Joyce's political views at the time he wrote “The Dead,” I outline Joyce’s critique of both Irish nationalism and British Imperialism, which Joyce synthesized into a general contempt for Ireland’s compromised national identity. Benedict Anderson’s theory of nations as “imagined communities” provides a theoretical underpinning for Joyce’s transcendence of nationalism. I argue that both nationalist and anti-nationalist readings of “The Dead” are difficult to resolve with Joyce’s documented political views. …

The Intersection Of Gender And Ecohorror In Poe’S Short Fiction, Ellie Dana

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

This article argues that Poe uses female characters to express ecohorrific anxieties and imagine posthumanist ways of being. In "The Fall of the House of Usher," Poe associates Madeline with nature's terrors by describing Madeline's disease as distinctly physical and coordinating her exit from her tomb with a raging storm. In "Berenice," Poe uses the violations of the titular character's body to enter into conversations about the rapid extraction of natural resources and the possibility of sentience beyond material existence. An ecohorrific reading of Poe’s texts reveals how Poe dismisses women as merely corporeal beings; however, ecohorror also reveals how …

Spatiospectral Lobes And Radiation Modeling Of Partially Coherent Supersonic Jet Noise, Tyce Wayne Olaveson

Theses and Dissertations

Noise fields generated by high-performance military jets are known to contain acoustic structures that differ from their simulated and lab-scale counterparts. These differences may limit current noise control efforts, which are designed and tested at scale before being considered for full-scale aircraft. One such noise structure is the presence of spatiospectral lobes, which appear as multiple spectral peaks at single microphone locations and multiple radiation lobes in field reconstructions. This dissertation uses data collected from the T-7A jet noise measurement to characterize the spatial behavior of the spatiospectral lobes as well as their first time-domain description. A multiple wavepacket decomposition …

The Tyrannical Woman: The Collapse Of Idolized Feminine Sexuality In Blake’S Visions Of The Daughters Of Albion, Asha A. Lambson

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

One year before the publication of William Blake’s Visions of the Daughters of Albion, Mary Wollstonecraft, the mother of modern Western feminism, published A Vindications of the Rights of Woman. In her influential essay, she describes the concept of the tyrannical woman: a woman who, oppressed by reductive and stereotypical views of femininity, especially within the Madonna-whore complex, turns to forms of cunning and trickery to gain power over her environment. This paper explores Oothoon’s character in Blake’s Visions and how, over the course of the poem, she becomes a tyrannical woman. Oothoon, often praised by critics of Blake as …