Digital Commons Network^™

High Data Rate Signal Processing Architectures And Compilation Strategies For Scalable, Multi-Gigabit Digital Systems, Daniel Alexander Nybo

Theses and Dissertations

In this study we present a high-performance computing architecture and hardware acceleration strategy for a heterogeneous multi-gigabit computing system. The system architecture integrates a BeeGFS distributed file system, capable of achieving 80 Gbps of sustained write throughput across five nodes, essential for managing the high data volumes generated by a 25 high performance computer (HPC) compute cluster. To ensure operational efficiency and scalability, the tasks performed on the Linux compute cluster consisting of 30 nodes are automated using Ansible, facilitating seamless deployment, management, and updates. We present compilation strategies for a hardware accelerated Polyphase Filter Bank (PFB) channelization routine optimized …

As If It Were One Day, Megan Rowley Stern

Theses and Dissertations

As If It Were One Day is a multimedia art installation that chronicles patterns of light, movement, and sound, channeling the fluidity of time within the newborn phase of familial living. After giving birth to my daughter, I spent the next seven weeks observing these elements and recording them via video. The resulting art installation acknowledges my efforts to navigate my current life as an artist and a mother, my past battle with postpartum depression, and my consequent gravitation toward light.

Comics About Organs: Social Support And Graphic Medicine In The Awkward Yeti, Jacob Gibb

Theses and Dissertations

Comic strips have always been a medium for more than humor. Many comic strips published on social media sites address mental health issues. Despite their popularity, the field of graphic medicine, which examines the intersection of health care and comics, has seen little to no examination of how these comics function on social media. Utilizing the popular comic The Awkward Yeti, this research examines how the rhetorical devices of comics make them an ideal medium for communicating about mental health issues and providing social support to social media users. This study conducts a content analysis of 15 Instagram posts from …

Can Podcasts Reduce Affective Polarization By Combating Contextomy Via Long-Form Discussions?, Luke D. Hartvigsen

Theses and Dissertations

There is a growing concern regarding political polarization in the United States, most notably the phenomenon of affective polarization, which is when polarization increases negative feelings toward those who differ politically. The current dissertation project sought to address this issue by testing a media intervention using podcasts. Podcasts allow speakers to talk for hours uninterrupted through long-form discussions, whereas other media often edit political discussions to the point of contextomy (editing and framing a quote out of its proper context). Podcasts were created for this dissertation which differed on the political message of the podcast guest (conservative vs. liberal), and …

Phase Separation And Morphology Evolution Of Multiphase Polymeric Systems, Rami Naser Fahmi Alhasan

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the intricate world of soft materials through a powerful synergy of theoretical frameworks and cutting-edge computational simulations. The research investigates how processing history, thermodynamics, and kinetics intertwine to influence the behavior and manipulation of these materials. A cornerstone of the work is the establishment of a generalized Gibbs--Duhem relationship, ensuring thermodynamic consistency within the employed models. This not only clarifies existing ambiguities but also lays the groundwork for future models with a robust thermodynamic foundation. This dissertation explores the influence of processing history on soft materials through three in-depth case studies, unveiling the critical role of processing …

Inservice Professional Development For Educators In A Democracy: Moving From Theory To Practice, Rachel Lynn Wadham

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents research that addresses the question of how professional development influences inservice teachers' professional identity. In three journal articles, specific inquiries address research questions drawn from this broader conversation. In article one, we answered the question of what unifying characteristics democratic educators exhibit in their pedagogies and methods. By conducting an integrative literature review, we find that those who indicate that they are democratic educators used four major pedagogical categories including inquiry methods, artistic methods, oral methods, and student-centered methods. In the second article, we addressed the question of how professional development influences teachers' professional civic identities. In …

"Great Injustice In American Literature": African American Girlhood In Black And White Authored Children's Publications, 1887-1920, Becca Driggs

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the role of African American girls in creating and dismantling nineteenth-century race myths through a comparison of publications in black and white authored presses. Fictional stories published in St. Nicholas, the most popular turn-of-the-century children’s magazine, reveal that white authors, specifically Southern women, intentionally crafted narratives demeaning African American girls to cement a national racial hierarchy. Their work indoctrinated white children in racism and undermined African American legitimacy in the decades following the Civil War and Reconstruction. Concurrently, black authors recognized these attacks and in their press explored the lived experiences of African American girls to counter …

Combined Radiation And Convection In Developing Flow In A Parallel Plate Channel With Real Gas Behavior, Kyle Davis Pulsipher

Theses and Dissertations

The laminar, thermally developing flow of gases in a two-dimensional parallel plate channel is studied here. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the combined effects of convection and real gas radiation are explored. Gas mixtures composed of H2O, CO2, and N2 are considered. To account for radiation in the participating medium, the Spectral Line Weighted-sum-of-gray-gases model is used. The model formulation, verification, and validation are provided through published articles written by the primary author. The predictions made for the case of combined convection and radiation are compared to the solution for the classical pure convection case, known as the Graetz solution. …

Quantifying And Characterizing The Behavior Of Dissolved And Suspended Icp-Oes Detectible Elements In Utah Lake, Rachel Ann Valek

Theses and Dissertations

For Utah Lake in Utah, USA, we analyzed a uniquely comprehensive and longitudinal water quality dataset that extended over two summer sampling seasons. We measured 61 parameters using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), YSI ProDSS water sondes, and laboratory procedures to quantify and characterize dissolved and suspended behavior of trace elements in Utah Lake. We analyzed the data using principal component analysis (PCA) and multidimensional scaling (MDS) to understand the lake geochemistry and inform Utah Lake management decisions regarding nutrients and algal blooms. We found that 1) sediments rich in phosphorus (P) act as a source for bioavailable …

Instructional Readership: A Narrative Case Study Examining How Books Influence The Professional Practices Of School Principals In One Rural/Suburban School District, Jeffrey D. Hamm

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To explore what books school principals are reading and to determine how those books influence principals’ professional practices. A comprehensive literature review was cross-referenced with in-depth interview (IDI) results from 20 currently practicing building principals conducted at both the elementary and secondary levels. Methods: This qualitative study might be best described as a census in which 20 of the 24 principals employed in a hybrid rural/ suburban school district during the 2022–23 school year participated in the IDI process utilizing a pre-interview checklist and a semi-structured interview protocol. The data were analyzed according to Saldaña’s (2021) Codes to Theory …

Psychotherapy Client Termination Patterns And Outcomes: A Large Follow-Up Study, Including Zero-, One-, And Two-Session Cases, Adam Victor Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations

Empirical research examining psychotherapy clients' post treatment outcomes for all case lengths and their reasons for discontinuing treatment is limited in the literature, particularly for shorter case lengths. Research indicates that clients with zero-, one-, and two-session case lengths are the most common in psychotherapy (Howard et al., 1986; Nielsen et al., 2016; Phillips, 1985; Phillips 1987); and yet, little is known about these clients. The purpose of this study is to better understand these termination patterns and outcomes for the most common case lengths. Outcomes were measured with the Outcome Questionnaire-45 total score (OQ-45; Lambert et al., 2004). Client …

Standardizing The Volunteer Experience: Mtc Interpretation Volunteer Onboarding Course, Parker Whitelock

Instructional Psychology and Technology Graduate Student Projects

This project report outlines the development and implementation of an onboarding course for volunteer interpreters at the Provo Missionary Training Center (MTC). Aimed at standardizing the introductory experience, the course covers areas such as MTC campus navigation, interpretation equipment use, and volunteer policies, alongside instilling a spiritual foundation for the volunteers' service. The course was designed to accommodate a diverse range of volunteers, emphasizing clear, accessible instructions and practical application through self-paced modules on the Canvas platform. Feedback from initial implementation indicates high relevance, clarity, and satisfaction among volunteers, with suggestions for further enhancement. This endeavor not only enhances operational …

Time Spent Jogging/Running And Biological Aging In 4,458 U.S. Adults: An Nhanes Investigation, Christina Michelle Blackmon

Theses and Dissertations

Telomere length is a good index of cellular aging. Longer telomeres are predictive of longer life, and healthy lifestyles are associated with longer telomeres. This study explored the relationship between time spent jogging or running each week and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in 4,458 randomly selected U.S. adults. The association was studied using data collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), and a cross-sectional design. Total weekly jog/run time was calculated from survey responses. From the minute totals, three categories were formed: <10 minutes/week, 10-74 minutes/week, and ≥75 minutes/week. Adults in the third category met the U.S. guidelines. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. Partial correlation was used to adjust for differences in potential mediating factors, including demographic and lifestyle/medical factors. In the total sample, after adjusting for all the potential covariates, mean LTL significantly differed across the 3 jog/run categories (F=4.1, P=0.0272). Specifically, adults who met the guidelines via jogging and/or running had significantly longer telomeres than adults who performed no jogging/running. Adults in the middle category did not differ from the other two categories. A minimum of 75 minutes of jogging/running weekly is predictive of longer telomeres when compared to adults who do not jog or run regularly.

Thriving As Educators: A Study On Cultivating Joy And Longevity In Teaching, Stephanie Anne Wilkinson Witt

Theses and Dissertations

This instrumental case study explored the phenomenon of long-term teachers of a school district in the Western United States who continue to enjoy teaching. They were asked about their well-being at work, using the elements of the PERMA theory of well-being--positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments--and how those impacted their enjoyment and their choice to continue teaching. The case consisted of seven teachers who each had at least 10 years of experience teaching. Each participant was interviewed about what they do to enjoy and continue teaching. Through analysis, clear strategies and actionable steps that teachers can take to continue …

Can A Congregation Make A Difference? The Relationship Between Social Support And Latter-Day Saint Lgbtq+ Adolescent Well-Being, Aubrey Bardsley

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the relationship between social support at church and the well-being of adolescents who currently or previously belonged to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS, formally known as Mormon), differentiating between LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ adolescents. Past studies show that social support is negatively related to suicidality for adolescents. However, open questions remain about if this relationship is similar for LDS adolescents who identify as LGBTQ+ compared to those who do not. To test this question, I used data from the Family Foundations of Youth Development, a project that randomly sampled adolescents from Utah, Arizona, and …

Error Processing In Adolescents With A Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (Mtbi): A Longitudinal Study, Tanner J. Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

Error processing, a neural process critical to adaptive learning during adolescence, may be disrupted by mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of adults following mTBI indicate a variable impact of mTBI on neural correlates of error processing, including the error related negativity (ERN) and post error positivity (Pe) components of the scalp-recorded event-related potential (ERP). Existing studies of mTBI in adolescents indicate significantly decreased ERN amplitudes and nonsignificant differences in Pe amplitude between mTBI and control groups. However, no longitudinal studies of adolescents with mTBI are available to date despite the importance of these processes. We …

Deliberate Practice In The Skill Of Evaluating Automatic Thoughts: A Multiple Case Study, Hanni Rizk

Theses and Dissertations

Deliberate Practice is an emerging technique for competency-based education within psychotherapy training. In this multiple-case study, deliberate practice is evaluated for training the cognitive-behavioral therapeutic skill of evaluating automatic thoughts, also known as Socratic questioning. Students in a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program responded to an actress in a simulated automatic negative thought therapy scenario before and after participating in a deliberate practice workshop. The workshop consisted of an overview of Socratic questioning, roleplay, expert feedback, and behavioral rehearsal. Scenario roleplays before and after the workshop presented situations related to client "lovability" and "competence" providing an opportunity for the participants to …

Investigating Which Muscles Are Most Responsible For Tremor Through Both Experimental Data And Simulation, Daniel Benjamin Free

Theses and Dissertations

Tremor affects millions of people and many patients desire alternative treatment options to medication or neural surgery. Peripheral suppression techniques are gaining greater use, but are currently applied in a trial-and-error method. To optimize these techniques, the muscles most responsible for an individual patient's tremor need to be identified. In this dissertation, I explored two parallel paths that both could aid in identifying muscles responsible for tremor. The first method utilizies measured data and a technique (coherence) that quantifies the frequency dependent correlation between two signals. Using coherence to identify muscles contributing to tremor requires at least two parts: an …

"Moloch Of The Present Mode": Women's Short Hairstyles In Nineteenth-Century American Society, Jack Tingey

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

An article from Indianapolis journal in 1883 reported on the phenomenon of women cutting their hair short in the name of fashion, describing the process of a woman cutting off her long hair as akin to sacrificing virtue to the "Moloch of the present mode." Today, short hairstyles are more commonly associated with the bob of the Roaring Twenties, an era historians and popular culture recognize as one of excess, social change, and new innovations. But short hair on women was by no ~ans new in the 1920s. The bob was not the first short hairstyle in the United States …

From President To Dictator: Anastasio Somoza Debayle's Fall From Grace In The American Press, Kara Molnar

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

When news of Anastasio Somoza Debayle's Assassination in Paraguay reached Nicaragua, the reigning Sandinista government announced over radio that its citizens should "celebrate with joy the execution of Anastasio Somoza." Nicaraguans obeyed this command in force, dancing in the streets, filling downtown bars, and setting off fireworks late into the night. While U.S.-based journalists did not face this turn of events with such glee, they eagerly provided their own renditions of what precisely had transpired the morning of September 17, 1980, as well as the legacy Somoza would leave behind. Condemnations of the former Nicaraguan ruler as a "dictator" were …

"Yearning To Breath Free": American Policy's Impact On The Experience Of Imprisoned Migrants, 1980-1989, Samuel Johnson

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

The evidence against the Immigration and Naturalization Service was clear. "The agent grabbed me by the arm and twisted it behind my back. He threw me against the van and held me by the arms while a second agent cook out his revolver and struck me very hard in the face, twice. I began to bleed profusely from the nose and mouth," recalled plaintiff Crosby Orantes Hernandez. "He told me that I would be placed in a cell with men, leaving me with the impression that I would be sexually molested," testified fellow plaintiff Dora Elia Estrada. Jose Sanchez Flores …

The Wolfenden Report: The Key To The English Gay Rights Movement, Ryan Hollister

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

The history of homosexuality in Great Britain is long and complicated, extending all the way back to the Roman conquest. Romans had a tradition of homosexuality, but when Rome fell, churches became the authority on homosexuality, leading to numerous movements to fight against it. King Henry the 8th of England outlawed buggery, a term for anal intercourse, in 1533, and there are suspicions chat King James had homosexual relationships, but the scope of English history cannot be fully summarized in a paper of this length. Instead, this paper will focus on the British decriminalization of homosexual practices in the 1950s …

Remote Sensing Of Residential Landscape Irrigation In Weber County, Utah, Annelise Marie Capener

Theses and Dissertations

Irrigation of residential properties in urban settings is typified by small and irregular areas, many untrained water users, limited end-use metering, and differing groundcover in contrast to agricultural settings. This makes analyzing irrigation patterns to promote efficient water use challenging. Analysis of Irrigation by Remote Sensing (AIRS) combines multispectral aerial imagery, evapotranspiration data, and ground-truthed measurements to overcome these challenges. We demonstrate the application of AIRS on eight neighborhoods in West Haven, Utah, using 0.6 m National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) and 0.07 m drone imagery, reference evapotranspiration (ET), and water meter data from Weber Basin Water Conservancy District (WBWCD). …

Project-Based Learning: An Online Support Product For Scaffolding The Professional Development In China, Yenny Mo

Instructional Psychology and Technology Graduate Student Projects

This project was a collaboration between Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah, U.S.A., and Beijing Normal University (BNU) in Beijing, China. It aimed to enhance the effectiveness of the existing professional development (PD) program at BNU by developing an online support product. The PD program focuses on developing project-based learning (PjBL) cases and its implementation in a classroom.

This online support product that scaffolds the PD program using Articulate Storyline 360. Through a strategic integration of the ADDIE and RP models, I have created a tool that facilitates faster comprehension of PjBL concepts, enables effective design of driving questions, …

Investigating Self-Regulation In Secondary And Higher Education Online Contexts, Karen T. Arnesen

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation uses a three-article dissertation, including a literature review and two research articles, related to the understanding and development of self-regulation (SR). Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA), the literature review examined 22 articles researching a self-regulation intervention used in an online, higher education context. The articles included interventions specific to a unique context, interventions used in a specific context but could be easily adapted to other contexts, and generic interventions that could be applied in any context. Important themes revealed in the analysis include the importance of feedback in developing SR, the interaction …

Applying Mathematical Modeling To The Study Of Family Systems, Dahlia Maxwell

Theses and Dissertations

Mathematical modeling provides a powerful framework for insight into current scientific theories as well as hypothesis generation for further research. Despite its undeniable potential to enrich scientific advancement, the application of mathematical modeling remains conspicuously scarce in the field of family science. The complexity inherent in family dynamics, coupled with the intricate interplay of emotions in the individual, underscores the necessity of a robust analytical approach. Addressing this critical gap in the literature, this thesis introduces a sophisticated mathematical model of family dynamics integrating essential elements from family systems theory, emotion dynamics, and appraisal theory. The model is implemented as …

Breaking The Silence: Family Conversations On Suicide, Alexa Diaz

Student Works

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth in the United States. Suicide remains to be a stigmatized topic. There is a necessary need for families to openly communicate about suicide as well as knowing what measures they need to take to prevent them from occurring. Providing a child with a secure attachment and an authoritative parenting style decreases the likelihood of suicidal ideation as well as engaging in suicide-related behaviors (Diamond et al., 2022). Media exposure may serve as a resource for parents to enhance their knowledge on mental health literacy (Abesinghe et al., 2023; Cingel et …

Key Behaviors And Expressions Of Secondary Administrators And Leadership Teams As Culturally Responsive School Leaders, Belinda Azela Talonia

Theses and Dissertations

Secondary administrative and leadership teams continuously search for practices that bolster cultural proficiency to address increasingly diverse student cohorts. This qualitative case study identifies the culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL) behaviors and expressions of 24 high school administrative and leadership team members in a suburban school district in Utah. Data reveals how each team demonstrates the behaviors and expressions of CRSL framework and how these behaviors and expressions position each school on the culturally proficient continuum. Superimposing the CRSL behaviors and expressions on the cultural proficiency continuum provides a current reality for administrative and leadership teams to assess their tipping …

A Review Of Existing Literature Surrounding Female Educator Sexual Misconduct In Anglo-American Classrooms, Avery Barnes, Isaac Calvert

BYU Education & Law Journal

A 2004 literature review commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education estimated that one in every ten students would experience sexual harassment or abuse at the hands of an educator during their time in public schools. Even more alarming, multiple studies within Shakeshaft’s 2004 review suggested that this issue goes well beyond the reported data. At that time, leading social science research estimated that only 6% of children who were victims of educator sexual misconduct reported it. With significant developments in digital communications technologies since that 2004 study, researchers in the U.S. Department of Education have estimated that the number …

Deliberate Practice With Motivational Interviewing: Basic Helping Skills Among Novice Helpers, Angel Laurencio Vega

Theses and Dissertations

We examined the effects of deliberate practice (DP) in teaching motivational interviewing (MI) helping skills to 45 upper-level undergraduate students in a semester-long course using an experimental crossover waitlist design. Students participated in a three-hour MI skills workshop focused on open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries (OARS) and engaged in ongoing practice throughout the semester. Students video-recorded four skill demonstrations involving real-life changes with a volunteer client, addressing behavioral change. Pre- and post-workshop video recordings were analyzed to evaluate changes in reflective listening skills and the overall consistency of using MI OARS skills. The results revealed significant increases in reflections-to-questions …