Digital Commons Network^™

Girls' Access To Education In Ghana, Harper Forsgren, Asia Haslam, Shelby Hunt, Nathan Heim, Andrew Wirkus

Ballard Brief

Lack of access to education negatively impacts a person's development in a number of ways and leads to fewer opportunities and increased risks for the individual. Females are disproportionately affected by the lack of gender equality in Ghana's educational system. This inequality comes as a result of practices such as child marriage, child labor, inadequate training of teachers. the inability to accommodate for girls' menstruation cycles at school, and hidden costs of sending children to school. All of these factors are confounded by social norms that tend to see female education as less valuable and thus more disposable than male …

Homelessness In The United States, Cassie Hall

Ballard Brief

Homelessness is an issue for individuals all across the country who lack stable housing and the finances for other necessities like water. food and safety. Homelessness occurs for several reasons. including poverty, mental illness. and substance abuse. Many negative outcomes have been reported as a result of homelessness. including negative impacts on physical health, worsening of mental illness. worsening of substance abuse. and negative outcomes for children and youth. Several practices have been implemented to avoid such outcomes including emergency shelters. food kitchens. transitional housing, and Housing First approaches. Practices in Housing First have the greatest impact to report.

Usage Of Electronic Cigarettes Among Youth In The United States, Cade Hyde

Ballard Brief

Electronic cigarette usage among youth in the United States has been rising at an increasingly large rate in recent years. Usage rates of electronic cigarettes (hereafter referred to as e-cigarettes) doubled among high school students in a 4 year span from 2013 to 2017. The year following, the percentage of high school students using e-cigarettes doubled again: in 2018, 20.8% of high school students reported using e-cigarettes. as compared to 11.7% in 2017. As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), currently 1 in 5 high school students consistently use e-cigarettes. making them the most-used type of …

Deforestation In The Amazon Rainforest, Brandon Wegrowski

Ballard Brief

Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest represents a critical issue in our modern world, as it is the root cause of many other problems that affect the entire planet. The Amazon's deforestation is particularly relevant because it has been a chronic issue that has plagued the region for decades. Some of the key contributing factors include cattle ranching, infrastructure development such as roads, the building of many large dams, and small-scale subsistence farming. Consequences of deforestation in the Amazon include a significant loss of species and their habitats, a disturbance of indigenous peoples and their health, an increase in CO2 emissions, …

The Application Of Synthetic Signals For Ecg Beat Classification, Elliot Morgan Brown

Theses and Dissertations

A brief overview of electrocardiogram (ECG) properties and the characteristics of various cardiac conditions is given. Two different models are used to generate synthetic ECG signals. Domain knowledge is used to create synthetic examples of 16 different heart beat types with these models. Other techniques for synthesizing ECG signals are explored. Various machine learning models with different combinations of real and synthetic data are used to classify individual heart beats. The performance of the different methods and models are compared, and synthetic data is shown to be useful in beat classification.

A Savior With A Sword: The Power Of A Fuller Scriptural Picture Of Christ, Kerry Muhlestein

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

We have been counseled to draw the power of Christ into our lives and to “begin by learning about him.”¹ The Savior himself commands us, “Learn of me” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:23; Matthew 11:29). In fact, coming to know both God and Christ is a necessary part of receiving eternal life ( John 17:3). Many of our students will naturally conclude that to learn about Jesus Christ they should study the Gospels. While this is necessary, it is not sufficient if we are to come to know who our Savior and Redeemer truly is and thus draw on his …

Ces Missionary Couples Serving Around The World, Po Nien Chou, Petra Chou

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

In 1992 the Church sent six missionary couples to Mongolia at the government’s invitation to teach and help improve the educational system in Mongolia.¹ These missionary couples were based in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia. They came from a range of educational experiences and backgrounds and were uniquely qualified to help with the development and planning of higher education in Mongolia.² Their experience and background included “a medical doctor responsible for postgraduate studies at a university medical center, a computer science professor, a business professor, a professor of curriculum development and administration, and an educational administrator.”^{3 …}

End Matter

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

No abstract provided.

Enablers And Barriers To Implementing Icu Followup Clinics And Peer Support Groups Following Critical Illness: The Thrive Collaboratives, Kimberely J. Haines Phd, Bhsc (Physiotherapy), Joanne Mcpeake Phd, Msc, Bn (Hons), Rgn, Elizabeth Hibbert B.Physiotherapy, Leanne M. Boehm Phd, Rn, Acns-Bc, Krishna Aparanji Md, Cpe, Rita N. Bakhru Md, Ms, Anthony J. Bastin Mbbs Phd, Sarah J. Beesley Md, Msc, Lynne Beveridge Rgn, Brad W. Butcher Md, Kelly Drumright Msn, Rn, Cnl, Tammy L. Eaton Msn, Rn, Fnp-Bc, Achpn, Thomas Farley Ms, Acnp, Penelope Firshman Bsc, Andrew Fritschle Pharmd, Clare Holdsworth Bphys (Hons), Aluko A. Hope Md, Msce, Annie Johnson Aprn, Acnp-Bc, Michael T. Kenes Pharmd, Bcps, Bcccp, Babar A. Khan Md, Ms, Janet A. Kloos Rn, Phd, Aprn-Ccns, Ccrn, Erin K. Kross Md, Pamela Mactavish Bsc Pharm (Hons) Msc.,, Joel Meyer Bm Bch Dm, Ashley Montgomery-Yates Md, Tara Quasim Mbchb, Md, Howard L. Saft Md, Ms, Andrew Slack Mbbs, Mrcp, Edic, Md (Res), Joanna Stollings Pharmd, Fccm, Fccp, Gerald Weinhouse Md, Jessica Whitten Pharmd, Giora Netzer Md, Msce, Ramona O. Hopkins Phd, Mark E. Mikkelsen Md, Msce, Theodore J. Iwashyna Md, Phd, Carla M. Sevin Md

Faculty Publications

Objective: Data are lacking regarding implementation of novel strategies such as follow-up clinics and peer support groups, to reduce the burden of post-intensive care syndrome. We sought to discover enablers that helped hospital-based clinicians establish post-ICU clinics and peer support programs, and identify barriers that challenged them.

Design: Qualitative inquiry. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was used to organize and analyze data.

Setting: Two learning collaboratives (ICU follow-up clinics and peer support groups), representing 23 sites, across three continents.

Subjects: Clinicians from 23 sites. Measurement and Main Results: Ten enablers and nine barriers to implementation of ICU follow-up clinics …

Post-Custodial And Collaborative: A Primer For Memory Institutions Beginning Digital Archiving Projects, Lindsey Memory

Faculty Publications

This paper reviews the three major types of digital archiving projects: memory institutions’ digital archiving projects, community-based archiving, and personal digital archiving. An examination of some common challenges and opportunities present in most of these projects-- particularly any in the post-custodial model-- follows, with illustrative examples of various digital archiving projects. This paper may serve as a primer for memory institutional staff wishing to understand the landscape of digital archiving projects, both within and without the authoritative, disciplined approach most commonly taken by memory institutions.

Determinants Of Hiv-Risk Sexual Behaviors Among Zambian Adolescents: The Role Of Gendered Power, Sherinah K. Saasa, Orion Mowbray

Faculty Publications

Sub-Saharan African adolescents account for a disproportionate share of the global HIV infection rates with adolescent females carrying the heavy burden. Vulnerability to negative sexual health outcomes have been attributed to varying life contexts and power differentials influencing adolescent sexual behaviors. Using social dominance theory and the four bases of gendered power, this study examines the relationship between gender based power and adolescent HIV-risk sexual behavior. Data was derived from the 2013‐14 Zambia Demographic Health Survey (ZDHS). We utilize gender stratified multivariate logistic regression to determine whether the four bases of gendered power are predictive of condom use and multiple …

Population Trends Of The Native Fish Assemblage In Bonita Creek, Arizona, Usa, George N. Zaimes, David Arthun, Vasilios Liordos

Western North American Naturalist

The protection of riparian zones is critical for biodiversity conservation. The exclusion of human activities and invasive nonnative fish species have been used as measures to protect vulnerable native fish populations in Bonita Creek, Graham County, Arizona. The abundance of 5 native fish species, during 2005–2016, and mesohabitat proportions, during 2011–2016, were estimated at 4 sites to assess the effectiveness of these conservation measures. Interannual variation in numbers was high for all the species, with the speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus) being the most abundant. The speckled dace significantly increased at one of the sites; the Sonora sucker ( …

Associations Between Parental Media Monitoring, Media Use, And Internalizing Symptoms During Adolescence, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Laura A. Stockdale, Ryan D. Mclean

Faculty Publications

Although time spent using media has been linked to internalizing problems, few studies have explored the role that parents might play in these associations. The current study explored how controlling and autonomy-supportive restrictive and active parental media monitoring were associated with adolescents’ internalizing problems via time spent using media (media multitasking, social media, TV, video games, music, reading, texting, and Internet). The current study used data from a national study of teens aged 10–20 (N 1,193, 52% female, 68% White, 13% Black, 11% Latino). Results suggested that only autonomy-supportive restrictive media monitoring was associated with lower media use for both …

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (Pots): A Primer For Nurse Practitioner Practice, Emily Richards

Student Works

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a form of orthostatic intolerance (OI) that affects 0.2% of the population and is over-represented in women of childbearing age. It is caused by autonomic dysfunction and hypovolemia that presents with marked tachycardia and with minimal change in blood pressure upon standing. Orthostatic symptoms must be present including: lightheadedness, nausea, chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, and nausea and must improve with recumbence. The three main subtypes of POTS are neuropathic POTS associated destruction of peripheral nerves and venous pooling, hypovolemic POTS associated with low blood volume, and hyperadrenergic POTS associated with inappropriate sympathetic …

Phenological Patterns In The Desert Spring Ephemeral Astragalus Holmgreniorum Barneby (Fabaceae), Kody R. Rominger, Susan E. Meyer, Renee Van Buren, Allyson B. Searle

Western North American Naturalist

Herbaceous perennial species may exhibit winter or summer dormancy, or they may be spring ephemerals with dormancy extending from summer through winter. Herbaceous perennials, and spring ephemerals in particular, are most common in strongly seasonal but relatively mesic temperate environments. Warm deserts are typically dominated by shrubs and annuals that are better adapted to withstand or avoid severe summer heat. Astragalus holmgreniorum Barneby (Fabaceae) is a perennial spring ephemeral that has a restricted distribution at the northeastern edge of the Mojave Desert. We explored factors that regulate its phenological development in an observational study at 2 sites over 2 growing …

First Reported Case Of Diphallia In Corynorhinus Townsendii, Nathan W. Fuller, Catherine G. Haase, Kirk A. Silas, Sarah H. Olson, Liam P. Mcguire

Western North American Naturalist

We describe the first reported case of diphallia in a bat, Corynorhinus townsendii, captured during fall swarming at a hibernaculum in northern Utah, USA. Upon examination, we determined that one phallus was functional, as evidenced by production of urine, while the secondary phallus appeared to be overgrown with skin. A review of the medical literature relevant to diphallia suggests that this is a case of pseudodiphallia with a bifid shaft. We hypothesize that this morphological deformity likely has a low impact on the survival of this individual but may act as a physical barrier to copulation. To our knowledge, this …

Midwifery And Society: A Comparative Analysis Of The Uk And Ussr From 1920-1950, Melissa Scott

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this project is to analyze the changes made in midwifery policy and practices in the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom from 1920-1950. The changes made were essentially the following in both countries: required state certification, standardization of pay and schooling, and combating tradition in rural areas. Although they made similar changes, their political ideology and rhetoric was significantly different from one another. The rhetoric used in the Soviet Union in discussing midwifery policies and responsibilities was nationalistic while the rhetoric used in the United Kingdom was much more functionalistic. There were also additional political and societal …

Oxytocin Receptor Genotype And Serotonin Transporter Genotype As Mediators Of Social Behavior: A Rhesus Macaque Model, Ryno Kruger

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Studies suggest that sociality plays a major role in physical and mental health, with loneliness, hostility, and aggression contributing to ill health. Genetic variation functions as a foundational basis for positive sociality, as well as antisocial behaviors such as social alienation and aggression. It is widely believed that the central serotonin and oxytocin systems are two neurotransmitter systems that play important roles in sociality and antisocial behavior. In this study, we investigate the genetic impact of the serotonin transporter gene (SERT) and a recently discovered oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene on social isolation and antisocial behavior using a rhesus monkey model …

Irregular Quadrature Amplitude Modulation For Adaptive Physical-Layer Security, Hunter Searle, Marco A. C. Gomes, Joao P. Vilela, Willie K. Harrison

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis propose adding an irregular quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) constellation to a wireless transmission scheme in order to obtain greater control over the signal-tonoise ratio (SNR) required to successfully decode the signal. By altering the separation between adjacent symbols, the minimum required SNR is raised without degradation in the performance of the scheme. This allows the system to adapt to preferable channel conditions for the authorized user, making it harder for eavesdroppers to intercept and decode the transmission, thus making the communication safer. In addition, we show that by overlaying a coset code onto the QAM constellation, a new, …

Co-Parental Conflict And Maternal Gatekeeping: The Effects On Parental Media Monitoring Behaviors, Erin Fitzgerald

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Within the last decade, there has been an onslaught of digital media among adolescents, the majority of whom are ill prepared to self-regulate and critically examine the messages they receive from the media. Unfortunately, parents are often unsure how to help, and may disagree on how to monitor the media in their home. This study was conducted on the influence of conflictual co-parenting behaviors on media monitoring style choice. The results indicated that parents who experience co-parental conflict and maternal gatekeeping may have a difficult time encouraging their children’s autonomy through active and autonomy supportive media monitoring and are more …

An Event-Related Potential Study Of Inhibition To Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, Hanel Watkins

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the United States, the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages per capita from 1977 to 2002 doubled across all age groups. One factor that may contribute to the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is inhibitory control, or the ability to withhold a dominant response in order to correctly respond to one’s environment. Studies suggest that increased recruitment of inhibitory control resources plays a role in decreasing the consumption of high-calorie foods and that strengthening an individual’s inhibitory control may help them manage their food intake. However, the neural response to sugar-sweetened beverages versus non-sweetened beverages is unknown. Thus, we tested event-related potential …

Epistasis In Alzheimer’S Disease: Interactions Between Clu-Ms4a4e And Wwc1-Tln2, Omoremi Hamblin

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia among people age 65 and older. Because of the complexity of this disease, many studies have taken the epistatic approach to discover underlying genetic disorders. Epistasis is the study of gene-gene interaction in which the effects of one gene mask the effects of the other gene. In this study, we attempted to replicate two earlier studies that identified three gene-gene interactions. We used the 2019 Alzheimer’s Diseases Genetics Consortium (ADGC) dataset and we conducted a logistic regression with and without the interaction terms. The interactions we considered were between CLU rs11136000 …

Cryolipolysis: A Guide For Primary Care Practitioners, Miryam Harper, Jane H. Lassetter

Faculty Publications

A desire for the ideal body image has influenced the development of a nonsurgical body-shaping procedure known as cryolipolysis. The purpose of this clinical feature is to inform nurse practitioners about the risks and benefits of cryolipolysis so they can educate their patients. Cryolipolysis is a safe, effective method of reducing small areas of unwanted fat. Adverse effects are minimal and include pain, redness, bruising, and swelling. Results are seen within 12 weeks, but long-term effects are unknown. There are contraindications, and it is relatively expensive; however, it may be a safer option than invasive surgery.

Describing Therapeutic Relationship Change And Failure In Group Psychotherapy, Harold Thomas Svien

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives. This study reanalyzed data from Burlingame and colleagues’ (2018) randomized controlled trial on the effect of adding Group Questionnaire (GQ) to Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45) feedback. These data were assessed for the feedback effect using the amount of GQ alerts in one session reported by the group member to track change in GQ subscales as a measure of reversing therapeutic relationship failure.Methods. 374 participants engaged in 58 psychotherapy groups. Every participant provided GQ measurements after every group session. These GQ measurements formed ‘person-session units’ representing whether or not each type of alert was present following each group meeting. Person-session units …

Salem Belles, Succubi, And The Scarlet Letter: Transatlantic Witchcraft And Gothic Erotic Affect, Sylvia Cutler

Theses and Dissertations

In order to reconcile the absence of sexually deviant witch figures (succubae, demonic women, etc.) within the formation of American national literature in the nineteenth century with the fantastic elements found in European variations on the gothic, my thesis aims to demonstrate transatlantic variants of erotic signifiers attached to witch figures in nineteenth-century gothic fiction and mediums across national traditions. I will begin by tracing the transatlantic and historical impact of Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger’s Malleus Maleficarum—an early modern handbook of sorts used widely in witchcraft inquisitions—on Early American witch trials, specifically where its influence deviates from a sexualized …

Foreign Domestic Workers In Hong Kong: Identifying Risk Factors, Resilience, And Psychological Well-Being, Ka Yan Mok

Theses and Dissertations

Domestic workers, also known as house maids or handmaids, are a predominately female workforce that traditionally provides labor in upper-class households. With the increase of dual income families and the global expansion of the middle class, the demand for domestic workers increased, which facilitated the practice of importing lower-cost foreign domestic workers (FDWs) from developing areas. Hong Kong has the highest concentration of FDWs when compared to other metropolitan areas, such as Taiwan, Singapore, or New York. Since the trade began in the 1970s, qualitative research and journalistic investigations have reported that FDWs frequently encounter exploitation, including emotional, physical, and …

Sex Differences In Ethanol Modulation Of Dopamine Release In The Mesolimbic Reward System, Mandy Parsons

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to synthesize previous studies that have shown sex differences in response to drugs of abuse, specifically cocaine and alcohol. These differences have been noted through the study of behavior, nitric oxide levels in the medial amygdala, and dopamine release within the mesolimbic system. Importantly, it has been consistently found that these differences seem to correlate with the changing hormonal environment produced by the estrus cycle in females. Furthermore, this thesis examines new research on how the estrus cycle modulates dopamine release within the reward circuit through the utilization of fast scan cyclic voltammetry and microdialysis techniques. A …

The Investigation Of Secondary Particle Formation Initiated By Non-Prototypical Sources And The Role Of Amines In The Atmosphere, Emily Burrell

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a collection of works that investigate non-prototypical sources leading to new particle formation in the atmosphere. Particles play a major role in atmospheric chemistry. For example, particles are a component of smog and are commonly found in high concentrations under conditions of atmospheric inversions. In order to reconcile the difference between measured and modeled particle concentrations new mechanisms from non-prototypical sources for particle formation need to be determined. Formation of particles has frequently been modeled using classical nucleation theory (CNT). The first step in CNT is the nucleation step where molecular clusters form. In a second step, …

Preparation, Functionalization, And/Or Characterization By X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Of Carbon Surfaces For Biosensors And Other Materials, Varun Jain

Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation is primarily divided into two parts. The first deals with the preparation, functionalization, and characterization of carbon surfaces prepared by direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) and high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) as substrates for bioarrays. Part two discusses applications of XPS peak fitting in surface chemical analysis. Chapter 1, the introduction, includes (i) a discussion of the construction of bioarrays and the preparation of sputtered surfaces, e.g., by DCMS and HiPIMS, and also functionalization (bioconjugate) chemistry with special emphasis on the importance of covalent functionalization of surfaces, and (ii) a discussion of the surface characterization techniques and …

Measurement Implementation In Youth Psychotherapy: An Examination Of Barriers And Facilitators Of Y-Oq And Tsm Implementation, Tess Janeen Collett

Theses and Dissertations

Studies have shown a concerning and disproportionate amount of treatment failure and premature termination in youth populations. Routine measurement feedback has been proposed as a means to prevent treatment failure and premature termination for adults and may also improve youth mental health services. However, studies examining helpfulness of measurement feedback systems in youth populations have demonstrated a lack of effects more likely due to poor measurement implementation than to the measurement feedback system itself. Because contexts within the service settings are such crucial factors in whether an innovation is successfully implemented, examining barriers and facilitators in said contexts is a …