Digital Commons Network^™

Reading Instruction For Students With Intellectual Disabilities:Inservice Teachers' Perceptions, Agatha Lee Gibbons

Theses and Dissertations

Students with intellectual disabilities have at times been overlooked and denied effective reading instruction. Teachers tasked with instructing such students are often limited in the training, resources, and support necessary to effectively instruct these students in reading. These problems are further compounded by the fact that students with intellectual disabilities have historically been misperceived, often by the very educators tasked with instructing them, as either being unable to learn to read or that the prospect of teaching them to read is simply too daunting and complicated to be of sufficient worth (Aldridge, 2014; Kluth & Chandler-Olcott, 2008). Such misperception may …

Controller Design For Coordinated Encirclement Of Moving Targets, Puneet Jain

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents controllers that use relative range and bearing measurements to steer unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to circular trajectories around stationary, constantly moving and constantly accelerating targets. The range and bearing to the target, along with their derivaties are estimated. These, along with the estimated local heading of the UAVs, are used in the control law, and to estimate the velocity of the target. In this work, six controllers are presented. The controller for a stationary target is derived using Lyapunov's direct method, and feedback linearization is used for the constant velocity and accelerating targets. A new controller is …

How Supportive And Maladaptive Parental Responses Toward Adolescent Emotions May Affect Adolescent Depressive Symptoms, Kaylin Cash

Family Perspectives

During the peak of adolescent development, teenagers experience a variety of influences that can either improve or exacerbate mental health. Specifically, the way in which an adolescent manages his or her emotions can greatly influence mental health stability. Emotional regulation can decrease the risk of experiencing depressive symptoms. Adolescents may learn how to manage their emotions through a variety of sources, but one of the most influential sources is likely to be their parents. When parents inflict negative philosophies and responses toward negatively expressed adolescent emotions, adolescents are more likely to learn unhealthy emotional regulation skills. Consequently, poor emotional regulation …

Parental Monitoring Of Adolescent Social Media Use And Emotional Regulation, Ronde Walch, Alyssa Sabey

Family Perspectives

Today’s children have been described as “digital natives,” raised amid advances in technology that allow them to use media anytime and anywhere. Parents may feel pressure to restrict their children’s screen time as too much media usage frequently is associated with negative developmental outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and relational and physical aggression. However, studies suggest screen time restrictions alone could be inadequate as adolescents develop independence. Parent-child communication about media content helps children become “critical consumers of media” (Padilla-Walker, Coyne, & Collier, 2016) so they can develop skills to better evaluate content in the media. As adolescents develop these …

Relationship Sabotage In Adults With Low Self-Esteem From Attachment Trauma In Childhood, Rachel Slade

Family Perspectives

Attachment trauma experienced in childhood can lead to the development of anxious and avoidant insecure attachment styles resulting in relational sabotage in romantic relationships. Individuals with an anxious attachment style may enact behaviors that are beneficial to relationships, but their unhealthy motives in said behaviors often erode their relationships. Those with an avoidant attachment style can be withdrawn and distant with partners in their efforts to avoid hurt from intimacy, thus negatively impacting their relationships. Thus, attachment trauma in both avoidant and anxious individuals may lead to behaviors that sabotage their romantic relationships that may greatly decrease relationship satisfaction.

A Fire Lit, Hal Boyd

Family Perspectives

No abstract provided.

Treading The Waters Of Chronic Illness, Janessa Mcquivey

Family Perspectives

No abstract provided.

What To Do When Body Image Interrupts Sexual Satisfaction, Kelsey Hamilton

Family Perspectives

No abstract provided.

Empowerment Through The Battle Of Mental Illness, Heather Smith

Family Perspectives

No abstract provided.

The "Safe Adventure" Of Sex, Mckell Jorgensen, Laura Waters Black

Family Perspectives

No abstract provided.

Applying Grace To Improve Mental Health For Young Adults, Megan Gale

Family Perspectives

No abstract provided.

Time For A Wake-Up Call: How Problematic Cell Phone Use Impacts Emerging Adults, Kaelie Crockett

Family Perspectives

No abstract provided.

Day Roosts Of Myotis (Mammalia: Chiroptera) In An Arid Riparian Corridor In Southwestern New Mexico, Simon P. Tye, Keith Geluso

Western North American Naturalist

Riparian corridors in the western United States harbor diverse biological communities that are threatened by reductions in available freshwater, changes to natural disturbance regimes, and anthropogenic disturbances. Limited data are available about bat roosts in riparian habitats in the southwestern United States. We examined day roosts of 3 sympatric Myotis species, the southwestern myotis (Myotis auriculus), Arizona myotis (Myotis occultus), and Yuma myotis (Myotis yumanensis), along the Mimbres River in southwestern New Mexico. We tracked 3 M. auriculus, 3 M. occultus, and 1 M. yumanensis to 16 Fremont’s cottonwoods (Populus fremontii …

Continued Westward Expansion Of Woodchucks (Marmota Monax) In Nebraska, Ashley J. Forrester, Brian C. Peterson, Jourdan M. Ringenberg, Shannon M. Schlater, Keith Geluso

Western North American Naturalist

During the last century, the distribution of the woodchuck (Marmota monax) has expanded westward in parts of the Great Plains. Expansive grasslands of the Great Plains were formerly a barrier to forest-dwelling species, but changes since European settlement have enabled some woodland species to colonize the region. By 2000, woodchucks generally reached across the central portion of Nebraska. We compiled new county records and estimated the continued westward expansion rate of this large, diurnal squirrel in Nebraska. We documented new records of M. monax along much of the former western distributional limits in central and southern parts …

Machine Learning On Acoustic Signals Applied To High-Speed Bridge Deck Defect Detection, Yao Chou

Theses and Dissertations

Machine learning techniques are being applied to many data-intensive problems because they can accurately provide classification of complex data using appropriate training. Often, the performance of machine learning can exceed the performance of traditional techniques because machine learning can take advantage of higher dimensionality than traditional algorithms. In this work, acoustic data sets taken using a rapid scanning technique on concrete bridge decks provided an opportunity to both apply machine learning algorithms to improve detection performance and also to investigate the ways that training of neural networks can be aided by data augmentation approaches. Early detection and repair can enhance …

Inclusion Of Kinetic Proteomics In Multi-Omics Methods To Analyze Calorie Restriction Effects On Aging, Richard Hajime Carson

Theses and Dissertations

One of the greatest risk factors for disease is advanced age. As the human lifespan has increased, so too have the burdens of caring for an increasingly older population suffering from rising rates of cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and dementia. The need for improving medical technology and developing new therapies for age-related diseases is manifest. Yet our understanding of the processes of aging and how to attenuate the effects of aging remains incomplete. Various studies have established calorie restriction as a robust method for extending lifespan in laboratory organisms; however the mechanism is a topic of much debate. Advancing …

Methods And Application For Tracking Seedling Fate On The Utah Test And Training Range, Jesse Randal Morris

Theses and Dissertations

Remote sensing of the environment has become an effective and useful research approach applied across a wide range of scientific and professional disciplines. Generally remote sensing is used to evaluate patterns and processes at broad spatio-temporal scales, such as classifying landscape vegetation patterns or for creating digital surface models, however, there are increasing opportunities to expand the use of remotely sensed information to a wider range of applications at variable spatial and temporal scales. In the field of plant seedling and germination research methods are needed to improve plant establishment and restoration monitoring, particularly in areas that have historically low …

Are Physical Measures Related To Patient-Centered Outcomes In Ards Survivors?, Kitty S. Chan Phd, Lisa Aronson Friedman Scm, Victor D. Dinglas Mph, Catherine L. Hough Md, Msc, Carl Shanholtz Md, E. Wesley Ely Md, Mph, Peter E. Morris Md, Pedro A. Mendez-Tellez Md, James C. Jackson Psyd, Ramona O. Hopkins Phd, Dale M. Needham Fcpa, Md, Phd

Faculty Publications

Objective: To inform selection of physical measures for studies of ARDS survivors within 12 months of ARDS Methods: Secondary analysis of data from 6-month survivors participating in a U.S. multicenter prospective study (ARDSNet Long-Term Outcome Study [ALTOS], N=134) or a multi-site prospective study in Baltimore, MD (Improving Care of Acute Lung Injury Patients [ICAP], N=99). Physical measures, assessed at 6-month follow-up, were categorized according to the World HealthOrganization’s International Classification of Disability and Health: body functions and structures, activity, and participation. Patient-centered outcomes were evaluated at 6 and 12- months: survival, hospitalization, alive at home status, and health-related quality of …

American Black Bears (Ursus Americanus) Of The Paunsaugunt Plateau: Movements And Habitat Use, Rebekah Adriana Castro Dungan

Theses and Dissertations

Concerns over human-bear conflict and questions about the ecology of Paunsaugunt Plateau's population of black bears (Ursus americanus) arose due to their visitation to popular recreation sites. Greater insight about bears and their habitat use provides a foundation for conflict mitigation and effective management decisions. Between 2014 and 2017, seventeen black bears (11 female, 6 male) were fitted with global positioning system (GPS) radio-collars so that we could track their locations, daily activity patterns, and ambient temperatures. By analyzing bear locations, we calculated annual and seasonal home ranges for 16 bears, including 25 den sites. Home ranges typically consisted of …

Reading Fluency And Gonoodle© Brain Breaks Among Elementary-Aged Children, Hannah Jeanne Wold

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the immediate and chronic effects of physical activity (PA) breaks on reading fluency. While many teachers recognize the value of PA for increasing engagement and focus (getting the wiggles out) in academic endeavors, these results reveal increases in academic achievement in reading fluency are also possible.This study examines 384 second and third grade students with low income backgrounds from the Rocky Mountain region. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine the effects of chronic and acute brain breaks via GoNoodle© (McQuigg, 2013) on reading fluency and physical activity (steps). Between group differences were further …

Supporting Confidence And Participation For People With Aphasia Through Student Interaction: A Descriptive Study On The Effects Of An Interdisciplinary Campus Program, Tyson G. Harmon, Mei-Ling Lin, Gabrille Scronce, Adam Jacks

Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: Decreased social participation is one consequence of aphasia that can lead to poor psychological health and reduced quality of life. Involving people with aphasia in advocacy efforts may be one solution for increasing their social participation. The present study investigated the benefits of a campus program for three people with mild aphasia who were involved in educating allied health students about aphasia and training them to communicate with those who have aphasia. METHODS: Three participants with aphasia shared their stories and interacted with interdisciplinary students in two seminar sessions aimed at educating students about aphasia and helping them learn …

Using Information Practices Of Nurses To Reform Information Literacy Instruction In Baccalaureate Nursing Programs, Anne R. Diekema, Betsy S. Hopkins, Brandon Patterson, Nena Schvaneveldt

Faculty Publications

Objective - Seeking information is a key element of evidence based practice and successful healthcare delivery. Significant literature exists on both the information seeking behaviour of professional nurses and information literacy teaching methods, but scarce evidence connects nurses’ information behaviour and environments with their education. This study sought to use data from nursing alumni to answer the following research questions: What are the current information practices of professional bachelor’s-prepared nurses? How do recently-graduated nurses suggest that their education could have better prepared them to find and evaluate information in the workplace?

Methods - The researchers conducted a descriptive study using …

Is Binge Watching Bad For You? Escapism, Stress, Self-Controland Gratifications?, Weipu Wang

Theses and Dissertations

The relatively new phenomenon of binge watching presents a dramatic shift from the norm of traditional television viewing. However, is this ubiquitously popular media marathon that contains negative connotations really bad for you? A survey administered to 157 television binge-watchers identified the role of stress and self-control in influencing both the gratifications sought and the consequences of binge watching through the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis. The current study found that binge watching to avoid problems is a commonly employed strategy for individuals to cope with stress. However, engaging in binge-watching behavior as a coping mechanism to purposefully avoid problems …

The Role Of The Autonomic Nervous System In The Relationship Between Emotion Regulation And Conflict Tactics In Couples, Natalie Gold Orr

Theses and Dissertations

Gross' emotion regulation model, Porges' polyvagal theory, and other existing research suggest that regulation of emotions, tactics used to handle conflict, and certain physiological processes that occur within the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in response to stress are significantly related, especially in relational contexts. However, despite their pervasiveness and negative impacts, there is a noticeable lack of research on predictors of violent, aggressive, or abusive conflict tactics in couples. In the current study, the predictive role of emotion regulation in relation to conflict tactics was examined, in addition to the role of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and pre-ejection period (PEP) …

Impact Of Intercultural Competence On Communicative Success In L2 Environments(With Reference To Missionaries Of The Church Ofjesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints), David Milford Lucero

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the impact of cultural competence on success in completing key missionary tasks. Qualitative survey results are supported by data from an intercultural effectiveness assessment and a Mandarin Chinese listening proficiency test to describe themes related to missionary communicative success and to explore correlations between intercultural effectiveness and listening proficiency. Missionary communicative tasks are clarified into themes:"obtaining referrals,"obtaining teaching opportunities," and"helping people make and keep commitments." Factors perceived as associating with communicative success include"feeling and communicating love" and receiving"spiritual guidance." The effect of training on intercultural competence is also described. The intercultural effectiveness subcategory of positive regard is …

Maintaining Skeletal Muscle Through Eccentric Exercise After Bariatric Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Joshua Jed Kelley

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To investigate the effects of eccentric exercise on lower body skeletal muscle mass during rapid body mass loss induced by bariatric surgery. Methods: All participants began 6 to 8 weeks after undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) or sleeve gastrectomy (SG). Skeletal muscle mass (SMM) in the lower body was measured via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); additional exercise measurements included muscular strength and functional capacity. Quality of life was measured using Short Form 36 (SF-36). Nineteen females (age = 37.6 ± 9.8 yr, height = 164.4 ± 7.2 cm, mass = 106.9 ± 15.6 kg) were randomly assigned to 1 …

A New Qpcr Assay To Detect Geosmin-Producing Cyanobacteria, Shane Brian Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Taste-and-odor (T&O) compounds are frequently produced by cyanobacterial blooms in bodies of water. Geosmin, perhaps the most common T&O compound produced by these blooms, is not effectively removed by conventional water treatment processes and frequently causes the tap water to have an off flavor. Although geosmin is not harmful when ingested, it damages the consumers' confidence in the cleanliness of their water. There are treatment options for geosmin removal, but the most common methods are often not implemented until complaints are made by consumers.There has been an increasing amount of research on the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods …

The Use Of Video-Based Instruction To Teach Life Skills To Individuals With Developmental Disabilities, Kori Paige Esplin

Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with developmental disabilities struggle to learn important life skills. This deficit impedes their ability to function in the community and live meaningful lives. Video prompting (VP) is an evidence-based practice that has been used to teach a wide variety of skills to individuals with disabilities. VP utilizes technology to create step-by-step videos to teach academic, social, vocational and other life skills This article extends the current literature on VP interventions to hygiene skills and investigates the efficacy, skill maintenance, social validity, and level of independence that can be achieved using VP to teach hygiene skills. Three participants with developmental …

Testing A Scale Of Teacher Beliefs About Universal Curriculum Integration In The 21st Century (Uci21-T), Nicole E. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Curriculum integration is a unique approach to teaching. Twenty-first century skill approaches to curriculum integration train teachers in the process of curriculum integration, such that they are able to integrate various subject combinations in their teaching that produce new skills and dispositions in their students. Yet no scale to measure teachers' beliefs about the value of and efficacy beliefs towards implementing curriculum integration exists that is universal in the sense that it can be used any time any subject combination is integrated. Using a sample of 196 teachers at a professional development meeting in a mid-sized suburban school district in …

Outcomes For Professionals And Companies Through Student-Professional Reverse Mentoring Sessions, Nicholas Burr Gubler

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative inquiry explores the outcomes that professionals, and their companies, experience when they participate in a student-professional reverse mentorship. Professional development is used across all trades and professions as a way to increase employee skills and improve product/service quality. Reverse mentoring, where a novice teaches the more experienced individual, is a relatively new approach in professional development. When the reverse mentoring scenario is between students and professionals, instead of professionals and their colleagues, we know that students benefit from the reverse mentoring process but little is known about what outcomes the professionals experience. This research reports that professionals experience …