Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Telehealth Training On Parents Of Children With Autism In Albania, Freskida Griffiths

Theses and Dissertations

The present study evaluated telehealth training with parents on techniques for working with their children with autism spectrum disorder in Southeastern Europe. The purpose of this study was to research the effects of telehealth training on the parents and the increase of mands on the children. The participants of this study included three mothers and three children, which totaled six participants. Parents were trained on how to increase functional communication in their child. Telehealth training was based on an effective training package called Behavior Skills Training (BST). BST consist of instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. The resources needed for the …

The Potential For Pollen Records To Detect Mountain Pine Beetle Disturbance In A Pine-Dominated Forest, Idaho, Usa, Jennifer H. Watt, Andrea Brunelle

Western North American Naturalist

Mountain pine beetle (MPB; Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) outbreaks are an important component in forest succession for Pinus (pine) forests in the western United States. The research presented here is the first attempt to use pollen data from lake sediment cores to identify MPB disturbance over the past 1600 years within a pine-dominated forest. With evidence of both current and presettlement MPB outbreaks in the surrounding forest, Fishstick Lake, a small subalpine lake in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho, is located in a Pinus contorta (lodgepole pine)–dominated forest. Previous work by Morris et al. (2010) and Morris and Brunelle (2012) used …

Shinylearner: A Containerized Benchmarking Tool For Machine-Learning Classification Of Tabular Data, Stephen Piccolo, Terry J. Lee, Erica Suh, Kimball Hill

Faculty Publications

Background: Classification algorithms assign observations to groups based on patterns in data. The machine-learning community have developed myriad classification algorithms, which are used in diverse life science research domains. Algorithm choice can affect classification accuracy dramatically, so it is crucial that researchers optimize the choice of which algorithm(s) to apply in a given research domain on the basis of empirical evidence. In benchmark studies, multiple algorithms are applied to multiple datasets, and the researcher examines overall trends. In addition, the researcher may evaluate multiple hyperparameter combinations for each algorithm and use feature selection to reduce data dimensionality. Although software implementations …

Enhanced Efficiency Phosphorus Fertilizers, Savannah J. Kobza, Bryan G. Hopkins

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

• Phosphorus (P) fertilizer loss = negative environmental & economic impacts
• Surface P runoff = eutrophication & natural resource waste
• P Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers (EEF) = reduce P loss & improve crop yields by up to ~5%
• P EEF evaluated = organic acids, polymer coatings, struvite

Cognitive Decline In Older Adults After Incident Coronary Heart Disease Or After First Receipt Of Cabg Surgery Or Pci, Jacqueline E. Kunzelman, Evan L. Thacker, Rachel M. Gabor, Monica Scrobotovici, Natalie J. Blades, Wt Longstreth Jr., Susan R. Heckbert, Bruce M. Psaty, Alice M. Arnold, Annette L. Fitzpatrick, David J. Llewellyn, Elżbieta Kuźma, Hooman Kamel, Mandip S. Dhamoon, Sarwat I. Chaudhry, John A. Dodson, Dawson W. Hedges, Shawn D. Gale, Lance D. Erickson, Bruce L. Brown

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

• Cardiovascular health and disease are important determinants of cognitive decline
• Population-based longitudinal studies of this issue are needed

Hypotheses:

• Incident CHD leads to faster long-term cognitive decline in older adults
• Among older adults with CHD, treatment with CABG surgery or PCI leads to slower long-term cognitive decline

Utah Lake's Cyanobacteria Proliferation And Toxin Production In Response To Nitrogen And Phosphorous Additions, Gabriella Lawson, Jonathan Daniels, Erin Fleming Jones, Rachel Buck, Michelle Baker, Benjamin Abbott, Zachary Aanderud

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

Understanding cyanobacterial nutrient requirements and toxin production will help the Utah Department of Environmental Quality control toxic algal blooms on Utah Lake. Cyanobacteria’s primary nutrient needs include phosphorous (P) and nitrogen (N). Despite the fact that some cyanobacteria species can fix their own N, many still prefer utilizing easily accessible nitrogen sources (Dolman et al., 2012). Thus, explaining why both P and N can limit or accelerate cyanobacterial proliferation (Dolman et al., 2012). As it turns out, cyanobacteria nutrient needs are particularly complex. One purpose of this study is to detail the multifaceted N and P nutrient requirements of the …

A Comparison Of Phonation Threshold Pressure And Phonation Threshold Flow Between Pig And Rabbit Benchtop-Mounted Larynges, Amber Christeen Prigmore

Theses and Dissertations

Animal models are used extensively in voice research to study aspects of phonation, including physiology, kinematics, structure, and histology. Animals such as dog, cow, pig, sheep, deer, monkey, ferret, and rabbit have been used in voice research, with pig being one of the most common models. It is thought that the pig larynx is highly similar to the human larynx and one of the best models used in animal translational research. As with any model, however, the pig larynx does have some limitations. Perhaps a limitation most important to the rationale of this investigation is that pigs are difficult animals …

Zika And Dengue Virus Live Vaccines: Experiments To Improve The Thermostability Of A Vaccine Candidate Through Lyophilization, Marshall S. Butler

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

With the recent outbreak of Zika virus in Central and South America, there has been an increased demand for vaccines around the world for both zika and dengue virus. Due to a combination of high environmental temperatures and poor cold-storage capabilities in developing countries, it is often difficult for a live-attenuated vaccine to be shipped and maintained. In order to preserve and stabilize vaccines at refrigerated temperatures so that they can be easily shipped and stored, lyophilization (freeze-drying) can be explored as a possible solution. A successful lyophilization process will ensure an extended product shelf life, improve virus stability, and …

Designing And Assessing New Educational Pedagogies In Biology And Health Promotion, Kristian Ciarah Cook

Theses and Dissertations

Recent developments in educational research raise important questions about the design of learning environments—questions that suggest the value of rethinking what is taught, how it is taught, and how is it assessed. During the past few decades, STEM disciplines began formally recognizing and integrating discipline-based education research (DBER) into their research programs to improve STEM education. One of the less literature-affluent areas of DBER addresses curriculum order and design appertaining to concept types and the order in which we teach those concepts. As educational researchers, we pose the question: does content order matter? In this project we designed, implemented and …

Three-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Focusing For Integrated Optofluidic Detection Enhancement, Erik Scott Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations

The rise of superbugs, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and virus outbreaks, such as the recent coronavirus scare, illustrate the need for rapid detection of disease pathogens. Widespread availability of rapid disease identification would facilitate outbreak prevention and specific treatment. The ARROW biosensor microchip can directly detect single molecules through fluorescence-based optofluidic interrogation. The nature of the microfluidic channels found on optofluidic sensor platforms sets some of the ultimate sensitivity and accuracy limits and can result in false negative test results. Yet higher sensitivity and specificity is desired through hydrodynamic focusing. Novel 3D hydrodynamic focusing designs were developed and implemented on the …

Effects Of A Large Group Combined Narrative And Expository Language Intervention On Oral Language In Third Graders, Kylie Lynn Lee

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a combined narrative and expository language intervention on third graders' oral language. The participants included 96 third-grade students from two schools in the Mountain West region of the United States. In a quasi-experimental design, all third-grade students in one school (n = 46) were assigned to a treatment condition and all third-grade students in another school in the same school district (n = 50) were assigned to a control condition. Both treatment and control groups received large group oral narrative language intervention led by classroom teachers. The treatment group …

Sunflower Seedlings Fail To Remove Uranium In The Navajo Nation, Zak Webber, Ben Abbott

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

Mining and the natural geology in the Navajo Nation has led to widespread pollution of uranium contaminating the livestock and drinking water of many Navajo. Uranium has been shown to have adverse health effects and be connected withhypertension, renal failure, and cancer.

Recent studies suggested that the common sunflower, helianthus annus, has the ability to remove uranium in a hydroponic (water only) environment. This led us to believe that sunflowers may be effective to remove uranium from the water in soil conditions in the Navajo Nation.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership, Lillie Haggard

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

No abstract provided.

Alimony: The Taxing Economic Implications Of Divorce, Jared Mason, Amaia Kennedy

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

In 2017 alone, over 750,000 American couples chose to divorce3.

Nationally, fifty percent of marriages end in divorce, with each of

these marriages lasting eight years, on average. Put another way,

a divorce occurs every 13 seconds, and each of those divorces is

expensive, with an average cost of approximately $15,000 per person.

Stretching The Law: The Application Of Public Nuisance To The Opioid Epidemic, Lindsay Manning, Hannah L. Thompson

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

Opioid use in the United States increased five-fold in the last decade.

Every day ninety Americans die from drug abuse overdose. Is it

illegal opioid trafficking, or is it a problem within the medical profession?

Recent litigation strategies, like those used in the recent

landmark case of Oklahoma v. Johnson and Johnson, show that opioid

production and distribution are being linked to fueling the opioid

epidemic. Oklahoma is just one of the states that have concluded that

Johnson and Johnson, a large pharmaceutical company, is “overstating”

the efficiency of opioids and “understating” the harmful effects

of these drugs. Consequently, litigation …

Evaluating The Classification Of Gender Confirmation Surgery As A Medical Necessity For Inmates, Alexis J. Watson

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

In 2012, Mason Edmo pleaded guilty to the sexual abuse of a fifteenyear-

old boy and was sentenced to ten years in prison. While in

prison, Edmo announced that she identified as a female and changed

her name to Adree. Edmo went on to request gender confirmation

surgery (also known as “sex reassignment surgery”) while still in

prison. Initially, Edmo was not granted the surgery by the Idaho

Department of Corrections, and went on to self-harm and attempt

self-castration twice. In 2017, Edmo filed suit against the Idaho State

Department of Corrections (IDOC) and won. The IDOC disagreed

with the …

Eliminating Mandatory Minimum Sentences: Putting Sentencing Power Back In The Hands Of The Judiciary, Hunter Anderson, Joseph Dummar

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

Ron Miller had been a general manager of a company for twentyfour

years with no criminal record when his best friend asked

him to allow a shipment of drugs to be delivered to his company’s

address. Ron reluctantly agreed to help his friend, who was desperate

for money. Before the drugs arrived, Ron backed out and asked

his friend not to send the drugs, but by that point the shipment had

already been made. The police tracked the shipment to Ron and

arrested him. Even though Ron never knew the type nor the quantity

of drug that was delivered to …

Full Issue

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

No abstract provided.

A Review Of The Integration Of Media Usage And Online Therapy Methods As An Alternative To Standard Therapy Settings, Bowman Mccullough

Student Works

The following literature review measures the efficacy of media usage from the standpoint of mental health specialists wanting to administer therapy to married couples or individuals living remotely. Given the current pandemic of coronavirus in the current moment of societal development (April 2020), the need for remote services to be evaluated based from past research on the topic has never been greater, or more opportune than now. Are online or teletherapies as effective as traditional face-to-face settings in America today? With rising demand for mental health professionals in our technology-saturated society, the need to perform new evaluations on the topic …

Underlying Racism Within The Opioid Epidemic, Hannah L.A.S. Wilson

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

Within the past century, the United States attempted different legal

avenues to address drug abuse. Some of these efforts made access

to drugs punishable and illegal. Others encouraged research to look

at underlying issues of drug abuse and implement those findings.

Within the past fifty years, these laws tended to treat drug addicts

as criminals instead of as persons suffering from a health crisis.

According to the FBI and Uniform Crime Reports, from the 1980’s

to the 2000’s, drug arrests rose by 1.5 million per year, while drug

usage rates stayed the same.3 The severe increase in the criminalization

and …

Religion And Suicide: The Consequences Of A Secular Society, Pearce Solomon, Sean Peterson

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

No abstract provided.

Sigma: Journal Of Political And International Studies

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

No abstract provided.

"Tell Us About Yourself": Does Sexuality Hurt Perceived Success In College?, Matt Easton, Patricia Franks

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

No abstract provided.

Curing Beauty's Stockholm Syndrome, Erin Lee

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

A Mindfulness And Contemplative Inquiry Coursefor Pre-Service Art Educators, Rebecca Sue Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

This research project incorporates a series of mindfulness and contemplative workshops withinthe established curriculum of an advanced art studio methods course for pre-service arteducators. Educational research studies suggest that individuals who complete a mindfulnesscourse of study experience increased mental and physical stamina; enhanced memory retention;and decreased irritability, anxiety, depression, and chronic stress. Research also indicates thatindividuals who practice mindfulness have improved relationships and bolstered immunesystems (Williams & Penman, 2012. These studies suggest that mindfulness training can makepositive contributions to teaching and learning, enabling teachers and students to perform at theirbest capacity in their respective roles. Many studies hypothesized that mindfulness …

Shrub Size Modulates Resource Heterogeneity In A Sagebrush-Steppe Ecosystem, Lin Liu, Kari E. Veblen, Thomas A. Monaco

Western North American Naturalist

Shrubs create heterogeneity in resource availability, yet the influences of shrub age and size on these conditions in semiarid ecosystems is largely unknown. In order to inform restoration and conservation efforts in global shrub-steppe ecosystems that are currently imperiled, we assessed plant age-size relationships within an Artemisia tridentata stand in southern Idaho, USA, and examined the dependence of 2 resources, soil water content (SWC) and light at the soil surface (photosynthetically active radiation [PAR]), on size of individual plants in understory and interspace microsites. Results included a positive relationship between shrub age and size, a median shrub age of 19 …

A Qualitative Look At College Students Perceptions Of Social Interactions In College Physical Activity Classes, David C. Barney, Teresa Leavitt

Faculty Publications

Physical activity (PA) has been found to benefit a person in many ways. One of the benefits of being physically active is the social component. This deals with interacting with someone before, during or after the activity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of social interactions effects on college-aged students during their PA class. Participants for this study included 408 college-aged students (272 males & 136 females) who were surveyed regarding their interactions during their PA class. The survey contained Likert scale questions and open-ended questions, requiring the students to respond with written answers. In short, …

Propertius And Antigone: Innovation On The Theme Of Eroticized Death, Chandler Richard Kendall

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis looks closely at Propertius’ reception of the Antigone mythology in Propertius 2.8. First, I lay the groundwork to argue that Propertius is consciously receiving the Antigone mythology as found in Sophocles’ eponymous tragedy. I show through a close examination of language and themes that Propertius and Sophocles share semiotic markers of eroticized death that reveal Propertius’ intentional use of Sophocles’ tragedy, as opposed to other scholars who argue that Propertius is engaging with a later lost tradition of Haemon in Hellenistic poetry. After connecting Propertius with Sophocles, I explore the motif of eroticized death in mythological literature. I …

Bacteria In Blood: Optimized Recovery Of Bacterial Dna For Rapid Identification, Ryan Wood

Theses and Dissertations

Blood stream infections are challenging infections to rapidly diagnose. The current clinical diagnostic methods for blood stream infections require culturing the blood sample prior to identifying the bacteria and any resistance the bacteria may contain. Removing the culturing step from the bacterial identification process of a blood stream infection provides a significant reduction in the processing time. However, eliminating the culturing step shifts the difficulty from processing time to concentration, since clinical concentration levels can be as low as 10 CFU/mL in blood. This dissertation developed and evaluated many aspects of the process required to identify bacteria from a blood …

Advancing The Accessibility, Reusability, And Interoperability Of Environmental Modeling Workflows Through Web Services, Xiaohui Qiao

Theses and Dissertations

Global flood forecasting can benefit developing countries and ungauged regions that lack observational data, computational infrastructure, and human capacity for streamflow modeling. Many technical challenges exist to provide flood predictions on a global scale. First, existing land surface forecasts use coarse resolution grid cells, which provide limited information when used for flood forecasting at local scales. There is, so far, no modeling system that can provide rapid and accurate global flood predictions with low cost. Second, accurate flood predictions often require integrating interdisciplinary models, data sources, and analysis routines into a workflow. Limited accessibility, reusability, and interoperability of models restrict …