Digital Commons Network^™

Documentation Of Norm Negotiation In A Secondary Mathematics Classroom, Michelle R. Bagley

Theses and Dissertations

While previous mathematics education research has shown that norms can change in mathematics classrooms, little research has closely documented the struggles, concessions, and compromises involved in the negotiation process. Negotiating norms is a complex process entailing deliberate teacher moves intended to promote norms, often met with misunderstandings or resistance from students. This thesis documented the negotiation process that occurred when a teacher attempted to require conceptual explanations from students who had not previously been accustomed to doing so. I recorded six days of instruction in a 9th grade algebra unit, transcribed the class discussions, and inferred norms "at play" for …

Chilled Classrooms: Educator Identity And Responses To "Divisive Issues"-Related Challenges To Professionalism, Hannah Katherine Dixon Everett

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, the United States has seen a notable increase in controversy and legislation regarding "divisive" concepts and issues in education. These divisive issues include Critical Race Theory, Social Emotional Learning, book censorship, and other race and gender topics. Legislation and media coverage regarding these issues contributes to a larger trend of challenges to teacher professionalism. I build on recent literature exploring how educators experience divisive issues legislation, putting these experiences in conversation with educator identity formation and the development of a professional sense of self. I interviewed 18 secondary school teachers throughout Utah's Wasatch Front to explore (1) how teachers …

Six Connotations Of Sustainability In Civil And Construction Engineering: A Corpus Linguistics Study, Xiaomei Wang, Andrew South, Brett James Hashimoto, Clifton Farnsworth

Faculty Publications

This research explores the historic use of the concept of sustainability in civil engineering academic literature and identifies its conceptual evolution and connotative treatment over the last 40 years. We find that academic research addressing sustainability is exponentially increasing and that the focus on sustainability is enlarging from a primarily environmental perspective to include more social elements. Additionally, we propose a set of six connotations of sustainability: assessment, progress, permanence, abstractness, multidimensional, and intersectional. These connotations provide conceptual clarity for academics and practitioners in better-defining sustainability objectives and measuring outcomes. These connotations also promote more efficient collaboration with other necessary …

Effect Of Local Chain Stiffness On Oligomer Crystallization From A Melt, Pierre Kawak, Christopher Akiki, Douglas R. Tree

Faculty Publications

While the process by which a polymer crystal nucleates from the melt has been extensively studied via molecular simulation, differences in polymer models and simulated crystallization conditions have led to seemingly contradictory results. We make steps to resolve this controversy by computing low-temperature phase diagrams of oligomer melts using Wang-Landau Monte Carlo simulations. Two qualitatively different crystallization mechanisms are possible depending on the local bending stiffness potential. Polymers with a discrete bending potential crystallize via a single-step mechanism, whereas polymers with a continuous bending potential can crystallize via a two-step mechanism that includes an intermediate nematic phase. Other model differences …

Assessing Medical Adherence In A Volunteer Community Health Clinic, Jessica Clark, Matthew Anderson, Janelle L. B. Macintosh, Corinna Trujillo Tanner, Kristen Erekson

Student Works

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to identify the rates of and reasons for nonadherence in medical follow-up care among patients who utilize the Volunteer Care Clinic (VCC).

Background: The VCC is a free outpatient care center for acute medical conditions. The VCC serves uninsured, low socioeconomic residents of Utah County, and many of the patients who come to the clinic primarily speak Spanish. The director of the VCC expressed concern that patients who were assigned medical follow-up care to complete after their visit were not completing these assignments. Nonadherence is associated with increased costs, more hospitalizations, and worse …

Ready, Set, Grow: From Micelles To Giant Vesicles Via Biocatalytic Activation, Nicholas P. Bair, Qinyu Zhu, Bryon A. Staynings, Douglas R. Tree, Walter F. Paxton

Faculty Publications

Controlling physicochemical processes that drive changes in supramolecular aggregates is an important objective toward creating artificial soft micro- and nanomachines. Previous research explored the morphology control of membrane-based materials subjected to externally imposed chemical stimuli. Here, we modulate the microscale morphology of pH-responsive assemblies by using biocatalysis to internally generate changes in global pH. Catalytic reactions offer flexibility in the mechanism and rate at which stimuli are introduced to responsive assemblies, ultimately enabling precision and control over size and morphology. We observed, by dynamic light scattering and fluorescence microscopy, substantial microscale differences between assemblies subjected to manually titrated pH changes …

Membrane Hinges For Deployable Systems, C. Mitchel Skinner

Theses and Dissertations

Origami-inspired and deployable technology has become increasingly common in a variety of applications including satellite and antenna designs for space applications. The drive to utilize ultra-thin materials in the design of these deployable space structures has led to the development of membrane hinges. Membrane hinges show promise as an effective surrogate fold because of their potential advantages including requiring minimal volume and mass, allowing for small bending radii, and functioning without lubricant. Two challenges associated with membrane hinges include reliability after repeated cyclic loading and predictability of a large deployable with radially-unconstrained membrane hinges. The research presented includes the cyclic …

A Systematic Review Of Implementation Fidelity Interventions For School-Based Behavior Supports In Special Education Settings, Paige C. Mesui

Theses and Dissertations

Problem behavior has been increasing in classrooms and has significantly contributed to teacher burnout. Students in special education settings have been found to demonstrate problem behaviors more than their general education peers. Schools have a responsibility to implement evidence-based behavioral support to assist students with their behavioral needs, decrease problem behavior, and increase desired behavior in the classroom. There is a relationship between the level of implementation fidelity and the effectiveness of an intervention. If there are not high levels of fidelity, the results are not expected to mimic what has been found in the research. The purpose of this …

The Role Of Language In Identity And Mediating Connection For Fijian College Students, Grace Taito Tora

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the role of language in constructing identity and promoting belonging for seventeen Fijian college students at one U.S. based university in the Pacific Rim. Focus group interviews were analyzed for how students described the role that language played in constructing student identity and mediating connection. Analysis was grounded in post-structural perspectives of identity alongside vā – the Oceanic notion that encompasses identity and belonging. Students described themes of native language proficiency in reinforcing kinship relationships and in participating in cultural traditions and practices. They also expressed other ways of maintaining vā without proficiency in their native languages. …

Characterizing And Manipulating Intra-Die Performance Variation Of Fpgas And Its Application In Security, Hayden C. Cook

Theses and Dissertations

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are reconfigurable, high-performing devices that are often used in critical applications. However, like all semiconductors, FPGAs experience transistor aging that can lower performance and lead to device failures. Additionally, device aging also has several security implications. Therefore, understanding the aging mechanisms behind transistor aging is necessary to ensure the reliability of FPGAs. However, current aging studies either rely on simulation alone or are unable to isolate aging effects on specific elements within the FPGA. This dissertation uses the reconfigurability of FPGAs to develop novel aging techniques that allow for the targeted aging of specific areas …

Facets Of Neuroticism As Predictors Of Heart Rate Variability And Psychological Distress, Mikel Cressman

Theses and Dissertations

Heart rate variability (HRV) and personality are related to both physical and mental health outcomes. Previous research has found a relationship between neuroticism and distress while the findings on the relationship between neuroticism and HRV are mixed. Studying the facets of neuroticism may provide a more nuanced view of the effects of personality on HRV and distress. Previous research has suggested that the vulnerability facet of neuroticism appears to be uniquely related to the cardiovascular response to stress. This study's first hypothesis is that individuals with higher scores on the vulnerability facet will have lower heart rate variability. The second …

Drop Dynamics And Heat Transfer During Dropwise Condensation On Superhydrophobic Surfaces, Shaur Humayun

Theses and Dissertations

As we seek to address the escalating demand for energy and water, superhydrophobic surfaces have gained the attention of researchers due to their potential to boost condensation heat transfer rates and improve efficiency across various applications. One way to significantly improve dropwise condensation heat transfer rate is to improve drop mobility. Water-repelling properties of superhydrophobic surfaces can help in reducing the size of condensed drops as they depart the surface, thus increasing drop refresh rates by increasing drop mobility. Accurate models of retention forces between drops and superhydrophobic surfaces are needed for predicting drop dynamics including drop mobility. Once drop …

Library Internal Reviews For Value Description And Strategic Planning, Holt Zaugg

Faculty Publications

In between university level assessments, the BYU Library conducts internal reviews of each library department, describing its value to the library and university, and providing recommendations for improvement. The process used a team of library employees in departments not under review and an external reviewer to conduct the internal review. Using a case-study approach, the development of an internal review system, its meta-evaluation at the end of its first cycle, and the on-going efforts to improve the internal review process are described. Using a graduate level evaluation class followed by a task force, changes were made to the internal review …

Unveiling Trends, Terminology, And Teaching Competencies Of Blended Courses In Higher Education, Jennifer Lynn Ramsey

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation has been written in a three-article journal-ready format and centers on competencies for blended teaching in higher education. I use the PRISMA process and thematic coding to analyze 34 articles from 2002 to 2022, highlighting strategic combination, learner-centered approaches, and additional support. I also use the Google Search API and content analysis to suggest that blended, digital, and flexible may be post-secondary institutions' most frequently used terminology to describe contexts incorporating online and in-person components. I also gather qualitative data from interviews with faculty to highlight the context and nuances surrounding blended teaching competencies, including creative innovation, technology …

Rigorous Verification Of Stability Of Ideal Gas Layers, Damian Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis we develop tools for carrying out computer assisted proof of the stability of traveling wave solutions of the spatially one-dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes equations with an ideal gas equation of state. In particular, we obtain rigorous, tight error bounds on a high-accuracy numerical approximation of the traveling wave profile for parameters corresponding to air, and we obtain rigorous representations in a neighborhood of positive and negative infinity of the solution to the first order ODE associated with linearizing the PDE equations about the traveling wave solution. We also develop supporting tools for rigorous verification of wave stability.

Ductape: A Steady-State, Axisymmetric Ducted Fan Analysis Code Designed For Gradient-Based Optimization, Judd Mehr, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

Electric ducted fans have become an intriguing option for the propulsion systems of clean, quiet advanced air mobility technologies due to their potential benefits in both aerodynamic efficiency and reduced noise profiles compared to open rotor systems. Exploration of conceptual electric ducted fan design in the context of novel, and often complex, applications may be greatly aided by the use of optimization techniques. Specifically, gradient-based optimization lends itself to the exploration of large, complex, multi-disciplinary systems due to its inherent scalability. Despite ducted fans/propellers having been relatively well studied for the last century, modern, gradient-based, optimization-ready analysis tools for ducted …

The Aridification Of The Great Salt Lake, David Thompson

Ballard Brief

Throughout Nepal, brick kilns employ thousands of families annually for the seasonal work of crafting and shipping bricks. As families migrate between work in brick factories and agricultural work at home, more factors block their children from a complete and quality education. The open invitation to begin working with their parents and to help provide for the family becomes a strong temptation that causes many children to give up on school. In addition, Nepal's lack of law enforcement frequently allows children to drop out of school early without consequence. Their parents do not attempt to stop them either, making little …

Characteristics Of Pyrolysis Products Of California Chaparral And Their Potential Effect On Wildland Fires, Mahsa Alizadeh, David R. Weise, Thomas H. Fletcher

Faculty Publications

The aim of this study was to investigate the pyrolysis of selected California foliage and estimate the energy content of the released volatiles to show the significance of the pyrolysis of foliage and its role during wildland fires. While the majority of the volatiles released during the pyrolysis of foliage later combust and promote fire propagation, studies on the energy released from combustion of these compounds are scarce. Samples of chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum), Eastwood’s manzanita (Arctostaphylos glandulosa), scrub oak (Quercus berberidifolia), hoaryleaf ceanothus (Ceanothus crassifolius), all native to southern California, and sparkleberry …

Derivative Propagation Through Vortex Particle Method Simulation, Eric Green, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

Automatic differentiation (AD) is a powerful tool for evaluating numerical derivatives. In particular, reverse-mode AD provides numerical gradients in a way that is insensitive to the number of input variables. This makes reverse-mode AD well-suited for solving large optimization problems. However, reverse-mode AD has a particularly large associated memory cost because most intermediate values in operations need to be cached. This is problematic for large problems such as aerodynamics simulations, though, since the memory requirements can quickly become impractical. The solution implemented in this work is to provide analytic pullback expressions for functions for which many of the intermediate values …

Trajectory Optimization Of Evtol And Conventional Aircraft: A Comparative Analysis Of Vortex Particle Method And Vortex Lattice + Blade Element Momentum Theory, Andrew Tagg, Ryan Anderson, Cibin Joseph, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

Trajectory optimization of aircraft transition maneuvers can significantly influence the design of these systems, particularly when making decisions about aircraft geometry, propulsion sizing, and control system design. This paper presents the trajectory optimization of air vehicles including electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) as well as conventional aircraft. The study evaluates the influence of fidelity in trajectory design by comparing the use of two aerodynamic methods in the context of trajectory optimization. The mid-fidelity method utilizes a vortex lattice method (VLM) to model lifting surfaces while employing blade element momentum theory (BEMT) to model rudimentary rotor-wing interactions. The high-fidelity approach …

The Role Of Nr4a Transcription Factors In The Body And Their Effects In The Pancreatic Beta Cell, Jacob A. Herring

Theses and Dissertations

A central aspect of type 1 and type 2 diabetes is decreased functional β-cell mass which leads to systemic glucose dysregulation. Functional β-cell mass takes into account β-cell insulin secretion, β-cell proliferation, and β-cell survival. Several treatments are currently used to help maintain glucose levels in individuals with diabetes. However, cures for these diseases are not available due to inability to expand functional β-cell mass. Transcription factors control expression of target genes critical for various functions, and transcription factors that control β-cell function, proliferation and survival play a significant role in β-cell development and function. A more thorough examination of …

Solving Unsteady Potential Flow Problems In O(N) Time, Ryan Anderson, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

Design of vertical takeoff and landing aircraft is challenging in part due to significant aerodynamic interactions between rotors and wings. Computational models can aid in their design, but are computationally expensive. 3-D panel methods coupled with vortex particle wakes offer an attractive solution, but solving for the panel strengths scales poorly for large problems. Multigrid methods, such as Krylov subspace methods in conjunction with the fast multipole method (FMM), have been demonstrated to reduce the scaling to O(𝑁). We explore the performance and limitations of the Krylov-FMM method, traditional matrix-powered GMRES, LU decomposition, and a novel O(𝑁) multigrid approach to …

Persevering Through Communication Challenges: A Qualitative Descriptive Exploration Of Communication Experiences In Aphasia, Tyson G. Harmon, Camille Williams, Garrett Cardon, William S. Evans

Faculty Publications

Background

People with aphasia often experience activity limitations and participation restrictions despite wanting to engage in communication activities that are satisfying and meaningful. Communication partner support, the complexity of the communication environment, and the thoughts and feelings of people with aphasia have important implications for both language processing and communicative participation. The perspectives of PWA about the role that environmental and personal factors (e.g. thoughts and feelings) play in their communication experiences could inform clinical practice.

Aims

To qualitatively explore the communication experiences of people with aphasia and how environmental demands and personal factors (especially emotional responses) affect these experiences. …

Geometrically Exact Beam Theory For Gradient-Based Optimization, Taylor Mcdonnell, Andrew Ning

Faculty Publications

Decades of research have progressed geometrically exact beam theory to the point where it is now an invaluable resource for analyzing and modeling highly flexible slender structures. Large-scale optimization using geometrically exact beam theory remains nontrivial, however, due to the inability of gradient-free optimizers to handle large numbers of design variables in a computationally efficient manner and the difficulties associated with obtaining smooth, accurate, and efficiently calculated design sensitivities for gradient-based optimization. To overcome these challenges, this paper presents a finite-element implementation of geometrically exact beam theory which has been developed specifically for gradient-based optimization. A key feature of this …

Noise In The Library: Using Wearable Biomarker Devices To Measure Student Stress While Studying In The Library, Megan Frost

Faculty Publications

Many patrons come to the library seeking a quite environment, but some library spaces are noisy. In our study, we attempted to identify if the level of noise in a typical busy university library setting impacted the physiological stress of its patrons, as measured by wearable devices. We assessed participants’ heart rate variability (HRV) and skin temperature while they studied in different areas in the library. We found that there was no significant difference in patron stress levels while studying in loud vs quiet areas. This was even true for those patrons who came into the library hoping to be …

Cultivating A Digital Environment To Support Primary Source Instruction, Lindsey Memory, Rebecca A. Wiederhold, Abby Beazer, Gregory K. Seppi

Faculty Publications

Primary source literacy continues to be a priority for academic institutions. A growing subtopic is digital primary sources and their unique role in pedagogy. Digital primary sources have the capacity to represent more diverse voices, and their digital nature provides greater accessibility to new and existing user populations who cannot always come to the reading room. Digital primary sources can better meet a variety of needs through ADA-compliant transcription, 24/7 access, portability, and extensibility. With that vision in mind, these projects and materials present their own challenges to archivists, librarians, and other instructors seeking to expand these items’ curricular use. …

Regional Variations In Nabataean Jewelry, Emily Marie Yankura

Theses and Dissertations

The use of jewelry is just one of many avenues for individual self-expression, but even in the most individualistic society it is also a reflection of certain cultural norms, values, and expectations. This thesis is an analysis of Nabataean jewelry in burial contexts from the three main regions of the ancient kingdom - Medina Selah, the Negev, and Petra – with the aim of reaching a better understanding of Nabataean culture through their jewelry. The types of jewelry, materials used in their construction, and many other variables are compared and reveal unique regional variations within an overall Hellenistic style.

Application And Development Of Ceragenins In Medical Device Coatings For Clinical Settings, Elliot E. Sherren

Theses and Dissertations

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) pose a significant and increasing threat to global health. One primary cause of this threat is increasing antibiotic resistance. As traditional antibiotics continue to grow less effective, there is an urgent need for novel antimicrobial strategies. This work explores the potential of ceragenins, also known as cationic steroid antimicrobials (CSAs), as a promising alternative to combat HAIs. Specifically, we investigated potential roles that CSAs can play in the context of multiple medical device coatings in healthcare settings. Ceragenins are synthetic mimic of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) which exhibit broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against many common pathogens that have been …

Evaluating The Effects Of Cheatgrass On Western Burrowing Owls, Kaylee R. Draughon

Theses and Dissertations

There has been a global decline of specialist species observed in recent decades due to the impacts of climate change, invasive species, and habitat loss. Habitat loss and degradation may lead to a mismatch between habitat attractiveness and actual quality, otherwise known as an ecological trap. Ecological traps occur when an organism is constrained by its evolutionary past to select for cues that no longer accurately predict habitat quality. Specialist species are more susceptible to ecological traps due to greater reliance on and fidelity to historic sites and resources. The burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), a specialist bird species adapted to …

Comparative Genomics Of Anax (Odonata: Aeshnidae), Ying Fei Lin

Theses and Dissertations

Insect migration is an important phenomenon characterized by the long-distance travel of various species in search of resources, safety, breeding, and/or suitable climates. However, relatively little is known about insect migration patterns and the genetic factors associated with them. Three closely related species of dragonflies (Odonata: Aeshnidae), Anax junius, A. strenuus, and A. walsinghami, form a clade of migratory and non-migratory species and present a natural laboratory to study the evolution of genes that may be related to muscle developments and insect migration. In this study, we sequence the whole genomes of these three Anax species to present a resource …