Digital Commons Network^™

Computational Advances For Single-Cell Proteomics, Hannah Boekweg

Theses and Dissertations

The overarching goal of biologists is to characterize biological systems. When the workings of a system are understood, they can be fixed, broken, preserved, mimicked, and even replicated. The field of proteomics seeks to characterize systems through the lens of proteins. Proteins are referred to as the 'workhorse' of the cell to illustrate that they perform most functional tasks within the cell. These tasks are highly varied, including enzymatic activity, structural support, transport, storage, cell signaling, gene regulation, immune response, and more. Proteomics has been instrumental in new biological discoveries by characterizing the functional state of cells. A new area …

The Cellular Mechanisms Of Alzheimer's Disease Protection By The Pilra G78r Variant, Wenhan Cheng

Theses and Dissertations

Microglial dysfunction is increasingly linked to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Immune receptors like TREM2 and CD33 play opposing roles in microglial activity. TREM2 activation triggers immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM) signaling to promote microglial activities, including amyloid-β clearance, but variants in TREM2 such as R47H that impair its function increase AD risk. In contrast, CD33 is an inhibitory receptor that contains an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (ITIM) which transmits signals that suppress microglial function. An AD-protective variant in CD33 alters CD33 activity, potentially enhancing TREM2 function. PILRA is another inhibitory immune receptor expressed by microglia that contains an ITIM. A naturally …

Rapid Beamformer Weight Calibration Update Method For The Advanced L-Band Phased Array Camera For Astronomy (Alpaca), Kayla Lyman Ward

Theses and Dissertations

The Advanced L-Band Phased Array Camera for Astronomy (ALPACA) is a phased array feed instrument designed for the Green Bank Telescope. It is capable of producing 40 real-time beams on the sky, widening the telescope's field of view and significantly increasing survey speed. ALPACA employs an RF-over-fiber (RFoF) signal transport system from the phased array feed front end to the digital backend. This RFoF link is expected to introduce phase delays and changes in gain through out the course of an observation, invalidating the beamformer weights previously calculated. This work presents rapid beamformer weight calibration updates for ALPACA, a method …

Development And Miniaturization Of Pad-Printed Carbon Electrodes For Antibody-Type Biosensing, Elizabeth Danielle Clark

Theses and Dissertations

Miniaturized, pad-printed carbon electrodes (PPCEs) offer a promising platform for antibody-type biosensors, enabling rapid and cost-effective point-of-care diagnostics. This study investigates the development, fabrication, and electrochemical performance of large and miniaturized PPCEs functionalized for antibody-type detection, with the eventual goal of detecting pancreatic cancer specific biomarkers. The PPCEs were made of silver- and carbon- based inks that were formulated to be pad printable and conductive and printed on polycarbonate film so they can be easily disposed of after use. Each PPCE was thoroughly cleaned with ethanol several times to ensure a clean base on which to adsorb antibodies and antigens. …

From Assistance To Impact: The Expanding Role Of Undergraduate Teaching Assistants In Higher Education, Erin Measom

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is presented in a three-article format. It explores the evolving role of undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs) in higher education, with a particular focus on how they facilitate interaction, engagement, and student success in online courses. As higher education institutions expand online learning and seek innovative ways to enhance student support, UTAs have emerged as key players in bridging the gap between students and instructors. The first article provides a scoping review of the literature on UTAs, tracing their historical evolution and examining their expanding role. While traditionally viewed as logistical or grading assistants, UTAs are increasingly taking on …

Design, Manufacturing, And Engineering Design Validation Of A Fetal Activity Monitor, Hector Andres Pena Vega

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Fetal movement monitoring is an important indicator of fetal health, but

current methods often rely on subjective self-reporting or medical equipment that

may not be universally available. The research described in this thesis describes

the design, manufacture, and engineering validation of a wearable fetal activity

monitor based on nanocomposite wide-range strain gauge technology. Embedded

in a wearable maternity band garment, the technology is designed to discreetly

record fetal movements with the eventual goal of providing real-time information

that can assist pregnant women and medical professionals in monitoring patterns

of fetal activity.

The scope of the described research focuses on the …

Multi-Field Quantum Conference Key Agreement Using An Integrated Photonic Green Machine, Benjamin J. Fisher

Theses and Dissertations

Quantum Conference Key Agreement (QCKA) enables a group of users to generate a shared secret key, which reduces the latency and equipment overhead of establishing multiple Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) links. Conventional QCKA protocols send a multi-photon entangled state from one user to others and a key is generated only when all photons are detected, which is inefficient at high loss and opens side-channels at the receiver side. Here, we overcome this barrier through a multi-field QCKA protocol enabled by designing, fabricating, and testing an integrated photonic Green Machine that implements an eight-mode Hadamard unitary transformation through a beam-splitter network. …

Who's On The Phone: Effectiveness Of Cloned Vishing Messages, Katherine A. Rackliffe

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Voice cloning is increasingly used as a form of phone-based phishing attack (i.e., vishing attack). The purpose of this research is to understand the impact of voice cloning on the success rate of vishing/phishing attacks. We hypothesize that calls utilizing cloned voices are more likely to deceive recipients compared to traditional vishing calls or text messages with the same phishing content. As AI cloning is a new technology, there is not much literature on this topic. To evaluate this hypothesis, we conduct a field experiment with students in university courses who receive a message purporting to be from a professor …

Optimized Wireless Power Transmission For Low-Cost, Energy-Efficient Internet Of Things Devices In Residential Environments, Daniel Brook Hatch

Theses and Dissertations

Wireless power transmission (WPT) offers a promising solution for powering devices in locations where traditional electrical outlets are inaccessible, such as ceilings or outdoor environments. By utilizing electromagnetic waves, such as light, WPT enables power delivery without the need for physical connections. With line-of-sight (LoS) as its primary limitation, this technology offers significant flexibility and potential for a wide range of applications, making it a compelling focus for research and innovation. Despite the advancements in WPT technologies, their practical application for powering Internet of Things (IoT) devices in real-world scenarios remains underexplored. Many IoT devices are installed in locations where …

A Modular Simulation Environment And B-Spline Trajectory Generation Methods For Multi-Agent Uav Systems, Landon D. Shumway

Theses and Dissertations

Multi-agent UAV systems present a complex challenge requiring solutions to numerous subproblems. This research addresses two key issues: simulation testing and path planning. A modular simulation environment is developed, enabling users to run diverse mission scenarios with heterogeneous UAV teams and to implement custom dynamic models and guidance laws. Additionally, two novel B-spline trajectory generation methods are proposed. The first generates time-synchronized B-spline paths for UAVs with arbitrary initial and final states in 2D space, accommodating scenarios where agents must follow predetermined speed profiles. The second guidance method converts spline paths between MINVO, Bézier, and non-uniform B-spline representations, leveraging the …

The Effect Of Personalized Profiles On Generating Customized Content In Artificial Intelligence Augmentative And Alternative Communication Devices, Rachel Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

With advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), several augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices have begun incorporating AI with the purpose of accelerating and improving message transmission for users. The results have shown that AI can significantly reduce a user's keystrokes, but the generated responses may lack personalization. The objective of this study was to investigate whether integrating a personalized profile containing user information enhances the perceived accuracy and personalization of AI generated messages. Various methods of collecting profile information and differing levels of information within the profile were evaluated. One hundred eighty-one neurotypical English-speakers with no history of language disorder …

Compliant Mechanisms For Scalable Systems And Precision Deployment, Jared Rodney Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

Compliant mechanisms offer advantages in precision applications where size, scaling, and environmental effects render traditional mechanisms inadequate or likely to fail. However, designing compliant mechanisms and integrating them into larger, more complex systems remains a challenging problem. This thesis presents work that addresses this issue with analytical models and experiments on flat springs, scalable compliant mechanisms, and origami arrays. Storing and releasing energy in tiny, flat compliant mechanisms opens the door for the design of innovative actuators and products in space-constrained situations. Scaling compliant mechanisms allows novel systems to be made that can operate across scales. By designing for scalability …

Modeling And Simulation Of Tensegrity Structures With Continuous Cables, Austin R. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a novel approach for modeling and simulating tensegrity structures with continuous cables. A Python-based simulation framework package was developed to address limitations in existing tensegrity modeling software, particularly the inability to model cables passing through multiple nodes. The framework utilizes virtual work methods to solve for equilibrium configurations of 2D, 2.5D and 3D tensegrity systems. Key features include: • A YAML-based input system for easy definition of tensegrity topologies. • Algorithms for handling continuous cables spanning multiple nodes. • Optimization techniques to find stable equilibrium states. • Capability to simulate 2.5D structures wrapped around cylindrical surfaces. • …

Couples And Pornography: A Dyadic Latent Profile Analysis Of Romantic Partners And Pornography Use, Michelle E. Haddock Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

Research on the outcomes of pornography use for romantic couples has been extensive yet inconclusive. Studies have examined pornography use in a wide variety of contexts, leading to a wide variety of outcomes and well-being. The current study uses latent profile analysis to account for many contextual factors at once, dyadic data to examine the perspective of both partners simultaneously, and a range of individual and relational well-being outcomes to understand how different relational pornography use patterns lead to well-being. Results provided evidence for six unique profiles of couples based on pornography use patterns (personal use frequency, perceived partner use …

Bloom Pattern Data, Zhongyuan Wang, Robert J. Lang, Larry L. Howell

ScholarsArchive Data

This data is the supplementary material of the paper "Bloom Patterns: Radially Expansive, Developable, and Flat-Foldable Origami" by Zhongyuan (Kelvin) Wang , Robert J. Lang, and Larry L. Howell.

We present bloom patterns as a family of radially expansive, flat-foldable, and developable origami patterns, many of which are rotationally symmetric. Bloom patterns are defined with a generalized definition and a standardized definition. A classification scheme for bloom patterns is identified, and several types of bloom patterns are analysed. The distinct helical nature that characterizes bloom patterns is described, and a set of compatibility conditions is derived to help determine if …

The Development Of The Disclosed Reasons Of Partners' Premature Discontinuation In Couple Therapy Questionnaire (Dropped-Ct), Luca Codeca'

Theses and Dissertations

Premature discontinuation from couple therapy presents a substantial challenge for clients, therapists, and society. Inconsistent data on the frequency and reasons for premature discontinuation may be attributed to a lack of methodological rigor in assessing the phenomenon. This study addresses this gap by developing the Disclosed Reasons Of PrEmature Discontinuation in Couple Therapy Questionnaire (DROPPED-CT), a comprehensive instrument designed to assess the reasons why couples prematurely discontinue therapy. Utilizing a mixed-method approach, the DROPPED-CT was developed through the integration of qualitative and quantitative data. The questionnaire demonstrates strong potential for enhancing the consistency of construct operationalization and improving the comparability …

Exploring The Figured Worlds And Identity Of Religious Women In Mathematics-Related Majors, Rachel K. Reynolds

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis investigates how religious women in mathematics construct and navigate their identities within the intersecting figured worlds of gender, religion, and mathematics. Drawing on Holland et al.’s (1998) theory of figured worlds and informed by identity theory, this study examines how these women experience, negotiate, and position their identities within these figured worlds. Through interviews with women who are simultaneously committed to religious life and mathematical scholarship, the research reveals that rather than perceiving conflict between these domains, participants often find points of integration and mutual reinforcement. Their narratives illuminate how identity is shaped through cultural contexts, institutional expectations, …

Eliminating Assay Background Of A Low-Cost, Colorimetric Glutamine Biosensor By Engineering An Alternative Formulation Of Cell-Free Protein Synthesis, Joseph P. Talley, Tyler J. Free, Tyler P. Green, Dallin M. Chipman, Bradley Charles Bundy

Faculty Publications

Glutamine is an essential biomolecule that plays a pivotal role in many diseases, such as cancer, where it can serve as fuel for rapid proliferation. Treatments for these diseases can be monitored and optimized through the detection of glutamine, though standard glutamine detection procedures are costly and require complex instrumentation. Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) has recently enabled a paper-based, colorimetric glutamine sensor that carries the potential to increase test accessibility while dramatically reducing consumer cost to enable at-home, rapid treatment monitoring. Test sensitivity remained limited by residual assay background, thus motivating this work where CFPS reactions traditionally formulated with glutamate …

The Blue Division In The Soviet Union: Cultural Exchange Through The Lens Of Art, Abigail Beus

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the cultural encounters and artistic interactions between Spanish Blue Division volunteers and the Soviet Union during World War II. While scholarship has long focused on the grand-scale looting conducted by the Nazis, Spain’s role—particularly that of the Blue Division—in wartime art theft and cultural exchange has been significantly underexplored. Sent by Franco’s fascist regime to support Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union, the Blue Division served not only as military auxiliaries but also as cultural intermediaries. Drawing on memoirs, letters, and the Blue Division’s own newspaper Hoja de Campaña, this study analyzes how Spanish soldiers encountered, …

Unseen Burdens: Exploring Gender Disparities In Infertility Experience And Depressive Symptoms, Khiara Cardoza Brown

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how experiences with infertility relate to mental health outcomes among newly married U.S. couples, emphasizing gender differences and the potential moderating role of gender attitudes. Using data from 3,137 individuals in a nationally representative sample, three Actor-Partner Interdependence Models were estimated: first assessing actor and partner effects of infertility on depressive symptoms and subsequently incorporating gender attitudes as moderators. Results indicated a significant actor effect for wives, where infertility was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, and this association was significantly stronger for wives than for husbands. No significant effects were found for husbands' infertility and …

The Case For Visual Art In Overcoming The Double Empathy Problem, Katelyn Milea Rose Nilson

Theses and Dissertations

A person's cognitive environment--made up of their thoughts, experiences, and tendencies--can affect how they empathize with others. Those with significantly different cognitive environments, such as autistic and neurotypical individuals, may have a difficult time empathizing with one another. This study aimed to facilitate empathy between the two groups by aligning their cognitive environments through discussion about visual art. Five autistic neurotypical dyads completed three discussion sessions where they observed and journaled about a piece of art, discussed their thoughts with each other, and filled out a questionnaire about their experience. All participants also completed a post-study interview. Data from questionnaires, …

New Definitions Of Library Use: Experimentation, Discovery, And Creation (Edc) Within A Library, Holt Zaugg

Faculty Publications

Why did you do this activity, project, or research?

Over the last decade, libraries have shifted from being primarily repositories for information and resources to active learning centers. Physical resources (e.g., books, journals, manuscripts) have moved to online access. Librarian roles have adjusted how they help patrons find and access resources in their local library and beyond, resulting in impactful input on research, learning, and scholarly endeavors. Additionally, due to a reduced need for storing materials, libraries have developed collaborative and innovative spaces to meet patrons’ needs. These spaces include group study rooms, experiential studios, makerspaces, green rooms, and podcast …

A Strand In The Web: My Amish Roots Among The Swiss Anabaptists, Duane Schlabach

Swiss American Historical Society Review

The early morning summer sun cuts through the murmuring leaves of the towering maple tree rooted deeply on the edge of the large common area in Interlaken, Switzerland. It’s 2018, and the pealing bells from the Schlosskirche [castle church] still cut through the ground fog hanging along the water’s edge, crescendo over the lakes, and reverberate off the cliff walls like it has for countless generations. The pull of ancestral voices from the misty northern shorelines of Lake Thun in Oberhofen settles deep into the marrow of my identity. I stand in my Heimatort [place of origin] the land where …

Unwarranted Warrants?: An Empirical Analysis Of Judicial Review In Search And Seizure, Brett James Hashimoto, Miguel F.P. De Figueiredo, Dane Thorley

Faculty Publications

Every year, police perform searches governed by the Fourth Amendment on hundreds of thousands of individuals and their property throughout the United States. Many of the academy’s most decorated scholars have focused on the genesis and jurisprudential nature of the Fourth Amendment’s warrant requirement. Surprisingly, we know almost nothing about how the Fourth Amendment regulates searches and how searches actually work in practice.

In this Article, we pull back the curtain on the search and seizure process by presenting the largest quantitative study of warrants of any kind. We analyze over 33,000 warrant applications filed through Utah’s “e-Warrants” system over …

B17 Aircraft, Known As “Denny Boy”, Yvon Bordet

Swiss American Historical Society Review

The B17 “Denny Boy” took off from the British base at Thurleigh (England) on the night of Saturday, July 15 to Sunday, July 16, 1944. Objective: To bomb the BMW factories in Munich (Germany).

The aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire near its target, then again on the return to Mulhouse. Smoke filled the cockpit, an engine failed and the plane lost altitude. The captain decided to attempt a landing in neutral Switzerland. But it was in a small field, near a chapel, that he miraculously managed to land the bomber, in the commune of Féternes... in France, just a …

The Risk Of Marginal Inclusion In The Fortune 500: A Quasi-Replication Of Lewis & Carlos (2023), W. Chad Carlos, Yasir Dewan, Ben W. Lewis, Brian P. Reschke, S. Isaac St. Clair

Faculty Publications

Conventional wisdom suggests that being included in an exclusive ranking leads to positive external evaluations. However, Lewis and Carlos (2023) found that firms situated near the threshold for inclusion on the 100 Best Corporate Citizen ranking were devalued by investors. To assess the generalizability of this surprising finding, we quasi-replicate and extend this finding by applying the same regression discontinuity design to the Fortune 500 ranking. We find corroborating evidence: firms near the bottom of the Fortune 500 receive lower external evaluations, not only from investors but also from industry peers. Our findings therefore quasi-replicate and extend Lewis and Carlos’ …

Axiomatic Aggregation Data, Carl D. Sorensen, Christopher A. Mattson, Michael L. Anderson, Thomas J. Ashworth

ScholarsArchive Data

This data set includes the ideation results of an experiment in ideation effectiveness, along with tools for analyzing the quality of the ideation.

All ideas generated by 15 teams of BYU students are included in the database. The ideas have been placed into an OPED genealogy tree format. The quality of all the ideas has been evaluated. The novelty of one team's ideas has been evaluated.

Instructions for performing the OPED organization, evaluating quality, and evaluating novelty are included in the data workbook.

Software tools to aggregate the individual evaluations into team scores and to display the results of the …

First-Generation College Students' Transition Experiences After A Bridge Program, Alison Irvine Mcmurry

Theses and Dissertations

First-generation college students (FGCS) often encounter greater challenges than their peers. Universities offer transition programs like bridge programs, orientations, and advising, but service gaps contribute to FGCS difficulties. Bridge programs are often implemented for specific student groups that the university believes to be at-risk or more vulnerable than their peers. Targeted students are asked to come to campus early for additional training, education, and advising. The program is thought to bridge the gap between what they know and what they need to know to be college-ready and on-level with their peers. This case study examines the transition experiences of seven …

Leveraging Reduced Order Models And High-Fidelity Simulations For Efficient Multifidelity Uncertainty Quantification Of Thermal Systems, Jakob G. Bates

Theses and Dissertations

Simulation-led design is becoming an important part of thermal systems design. Simulations of thermal systems continue to improve in their fidelity, but this comes with an increased computational cost. Additionally, uncertainty in simulation inputs, such as thermophysical properties, leads to uncertainty in simulation outputs. For simulations to be used rigorously for simulation-led design, this uncertainty must be quantified. Performing uncertainty quantification on thermal simulations is made difficult by their many uncertain parameters and high computational cost. Multifidelity uncertainty quantification is a set of methods that reduce the cost of uncertainty quantification by leveraging high-fidelity, high-cost simulations with low-fidelity, low-cost simulations. …

Beam Bending Data And Parsing/Visualization Script, Jared Hunter, Jared Erickson

ScholarsArchive Data

The beamsolutions.txt file contains beam information for 59,913 beams created from a latin hypercube sampling of values of alpha(0,10), Beta(-10, 10), and psi (-pi, pi). The data was generated from a Matlab script released as part of the publication referenced here.

Jensen, B. D., and Erickson, J. (December 12, 2024). "Full Forward Solution of Large Deflection, End Loaded Cantilever Beams Using Elliptic Integrals." ASME. J. Mechanisms Robotics. June 2025; 17(6): 061005. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4067170

The Data_Parsing_Visualization.py file uses numpy and matplotlib packages to decode and plot beam data. Individual beam solutions are plotted first. All beam solution endpoints are plotted in the …