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The Interpersonal Theory Of Suicide: Military Populations, Mason Stewart

Undergraduate Honors Theses

With military populations being at a higher risk for suicide than the general public and military culture reinforcing the three variables of the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide; this research set out to answer the hypothesis that military populations would score highly on assessments measuring interpersonal needs and acquired capability. In 2018 for example, active-duty military suicides resulted in the death of 28.4 soldiers for every 100,000, and for reserve they were higher at 30.6 per 100,000 (Department of Defense, 2021). This statistic can be compared to the average suicide rate of the general population within the United States in 2018, …

Pixels & The Polls: The Impact Of Female Role Models In Television Media On The Perceived Electability Of Women, Amy Griffin

Undergraduate Honors Theses

It’s no secret that women are extraordinarily underrepresented in government and misrepresented in media. To better understand the impact of fictional television media featuring a positive female leader on the public’s perception of the electability of women and on their willingness to support women's campaigns, this study aimed to measure participants’ voting choices after viewing a positive fictional female leader. 104 college-age participants viewed fifteen-minute segments taken from episodes of CBS’s political drama Madam Secretary featuring either a male president or a female Secretary of State as each navigated political challenges. The participants completed vignette election experiences between nonpartisan municipal …

Ethnic-Racial Socialization Experiences Of Mexican American Youth, Katherine Donahey

Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that ethnic-racial socialization (ERS) is associated with positive academic and mental health outcomes for adolescents. These socialization messages come in 3 forms: cultural socialization, preparation for bias, and promotion of mistrust. The ERS literature has mainly focused on African American populations but is expanding to include other demographics, such as Latinx individuals. Since much of ERS research has been conducted from the perspective of parents, the current study sought to add to the literature by evaluating adolescent experiences with ERS in their own words. The study was conducted using focus groups with late adolescents and young adults …

Symbolic Semantic Memory In Transformer Language Models, Robert Kenneth Morain

Theses and Dissertations

This paper demonstrates how transformer language models can be improved by giving them access to relevant structured data extracted from a knowledge base. The knowledge base preparation process and modifications to transformer models are explained. We evaluate these methods on language modeling and question answering tasks. These results show that even simple additional knowledge augmentation leads to a reduction in validation loss by 73%. These methods also significantly outperform common ways of improving language models such as increasing the model size or adding more data.

Religiousness And Risky Behaviors Mediated By Moral Attitudes, Benjamin Curth

Undergraduate Honors Theses

There is a lot of existing research on religiousness in adolescents and risky behaviors such as sex alcohol. However, one understudied aspect of it is why the connection. Very few studies have explored this area, and a mediation model may aid in that research. For this study, a sample size of 364 adolescents ages 14-18 were surveyed (M = 15.64). Some mediations models have been attempted which suggests that it should be successful. In this study, a mediation model is used to explore the relationship between religiousness and risky behaviors in adolescents mediated by conservative attitudes. After finding significant …

"More Than Conquerors" The Evangelical Kingdom Model At Work In One Of America's Protestant Megachurches, Kaylin Hill

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted at 12Stone Church in Atlanta, Georgia, this report explores the strategies that 12Stone (like other evangelical megachurches) implements in order to grow and strengthen a church membership that consists of tens of thousands of members. The most prevalent of these strategies is the demographic-based rhetoric that 12Stone uses to draw in its main demographic, which is politically right-wing, white, Christian men. The rhetoric utilizes a doctrinal model that I refer to as the Evangelical Kingdom Model to impress upon members the evangelical mission and culture, the experience of which revolves around the local church level. …

The Effect Of Soot Models In Oxy-Coal Combustion Simulations, Kamron Groves Brinkerhoff

Theses and Dissertations

Soot in coal combustion simulations is often ignored due to its computational complexity, despite significant effects on flame temperature and radiation. In this research, a 40 kW oxy-coal combustion system is modeled using Large Eddy Simulations (LES) and a semi-empirical monodisperse coal soot model. Simulation results are compared to experimental measurements of temperature, species concentrations, and soot concentration. Cases where soot is modeled are compared with cases where soot is neglected to determine the accuracy benefits of modeling soot. The simulations were able to replicate experimental results within an acceptable level of error. Including soot in the simulations did not …

Multipath Mitigation In Frequency Selective Channels With An Emphasis On 5g Cellular Mobile Networks And Aeronautical Mobile Telemetry Applications, Farah Arabian

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the role of polarization, combining, and equalization operating over frequency-selective channels to improve the reliability of wireless communications systems in terms of BER for two applications: 5G mobile networks (operating in the mmWave band and NR FR1), and aeronautical mobile telemetry systems (operating in L band). The equivalent discrete-time models for a variety of spatial combining techniques at 5G mmWave bands were derived to investigate the performance of co-located cross-polarized antenna elements when polarization diversity is used and also when a combination of spatial and cross-polarized antennas is exploited. In both cases, ML combining has the lowest …

Psychological Sense Of Community In Gateway Communities, Jaimi Mueller

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper will expand on community research by analyzing the changes in psychological sense of community in gateway communities. We will look at the rural communities that border the Bears Ears National Monument as a case study, in order to evaluate the impact that land management changes have on gateway communities. Survey data from three rural communities that surround Bears Ears National Monument are used to test the effects a proposed land management change has on community needs fulfillment, community emotional connection, community influence and community membership. This research aims to fill the gap and specify how one local community …

“The Only Story I’Ll Be Able To Tell”: An Analysis Of Shame And Queer Identity In Gothic American Campus Novels, Aubrey Dickens

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes shame and queerness in contemporary gothic American campus novels, also known as “dark academia” novels. The thesis looks specifically at the novels The Secret History by Donna Tartt, published in 1992 and considered to be the first dark academia novel, and Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas, published in 2020 and a more modern adaptation on the subgenre. The two novels deal explicitly with how shame constitutes identity, specifically in regards to individuals who are depicted as queer or outside of heteronormative expectations of sexuality. Queerness in the context of this paper is defined as any portrayal of …

Scavenging Of Western Diamond-Backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus Atrox) By Desert Blonde Tarantula (Aphonopelma Chalcodes) In Arizona, Brian R. Blais

Western North American Naturalist

Scavenging appears to be a conserved but flexible characteristic among spiders. Although scavenging behavior is well documented in captivity, observations in the wild are rarely witnessed. During a road ecology survey on 6 September 2021, I observed an adult male desert blonde tarantula (Aphonopelma chalcodes) scavenging upon a road-killed neonate western diamond-backed rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox). The tarantula did not react defensively to my slow approach, and I observed its chelicerae working into the snake’s soft tissue. Observations of theraphosids scavenging are quite rare, and this may be the first reported instance of tarantula scavenging upon a …

Full Issue - Leadership

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

“Leadership is all about changing the order of things. Machiavelli said, ‘There is nothing so difficult or so dangerous as to undertake to change the order of things.’ And that is true. It is difficult, and it is sometimes dangerous, because people resist and people are afraid. And that is why only leaders can drive change.”

“Management is the production of acceptable results within known constraints and conditions; very important. But management is not leadership.” https://ecorner.stanford.edu/videos/the-difference-between-management-and-leadership/,

Taken From Carly Fiorina, Former CEO, HP, Speech from Stanford eCorner

Latest Research On Leadership

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

Developing Servant Leadership In Nonprofits, Seth-Aaron Martinez

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Overview: Servant leadership affords an organization many benefits. However, servant leaders are often not easy to find. This paper outlines several realistic, tactical practices a non-profit organization can deploy to develop servant leader attributes and behaviors within their ranks.

“Servant leadership affords an organization many benefits.”

Improving Capture Methods For Neonate Ungulates, Matthew T. Turnley

Theses and Dissertations

The capture of neonate ungulates has played an integral role in studies of habitat selection, phenology, survival, and other topics of ecological interest. However, neonates can be difficult for researchers to locate and capture. Neonate ungulates are born in habitats with reduced visibility, frequently spend time in a concealed, prone position, and may display cryptic coloration. In an attempt to improve researchers' likelihood of locating and capturing neonate ungulates, multiple capture methods have been developed. Much remains unknown about biases associated with capture methods and how to further improve capture methods once biases are understood. Our objectives were to determine …

Spatiotemporal Patterns Of San Joaquin Kit Foxes And An Urban Canid Guild, Nicole A. Deatherage, Brian L. Cypher, Tory L. Westall, Erica C. Kelly

Western North American Naturalist

The federally endangered and California State–threatened San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica) forms an ecological guild with coyotes (Canis latrans), red foxes (V. vulpes), gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), and domestic dogs (C. familiaris) in the city of Bakersfield, California, USA. Where these species are sympatric in natural environments, interference competition occurs, resulting in spatiotemporal avoidance or changes in behavior to avoid conflict. We analyzed camera survey data from 2015 to 2019 from 111 1-km2 grid cells throughout Bakersfield to investigate spatial associations between San Joaquin kit foxes and canid …

Presence Of Neotropical Otter (Lontra Longicaudis) At High Elevation Between Watersheds, Juan Pablo Esparza-Carlos, Pablo César Hernández-Romero, Jaime Antonio Escoto Moreno

Western North American Naturalist

The neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis) is associated with freshwater systems and is generally found at elevations lower than 1500 m asl. Its diet is based on fish and crustaceans. We present 3 photorecords of the neotropical otter at the divide between 2 hydrological basins in the Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve, Jalisco, México. The photos were taken at an altitude near 2000 m asl, and one of them was >600 m from a water source. The area does not present optimal conditions for the presence of otter since water flows are low, fish are absent, and crustaceans are …

Nonprofit Leadership Articles (All)

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Care For Life- Mozambique's Cyclone Recovery Program, Anna Osguthorpe

Undergraduate Honors Theses

My research is primarily an impact evaluation of the cyclone recovery efforts of the non- profit organization Care For Life, based in Beira, Mozambique. I determine the causal effects of this program on business creation and several inputs to health (serious sickness, improved latrines, meals per day, and access to a vegetable garden). The treatment intervention consists of Care For Life workers providing mosquito nets, water purification, and soap, improving available latrines, and providing gardening materials (seeds, fertilizer, hoes, and watering cans). I analyze the effect of this treatment on five different outcome variables chosen because they are deeply affected …

Mechanisms Of Organisational Learning In Hospitals: An Instrument Development Study, Bret Lyman, Emily L. Smith, Kaitlyn C. George

Faculty Publications

Aim: To develop a valid, reliable research instrument to measure mechanisms associated with organisational learning in hospitals.

Background: A valid, reliable instrument for measuring mechanisms of organisational learning would enable nurse leaders and researchers to improve health care through facilitation and study of organisational learning.

Methods: The Organizational Learning in Hospitals model was used as a framework to develop the Organizational Learning Instrument-Mechanisms. Cognitive interviews and expert reviews were used to refine and evaluate item-level and scale-level content validity. The instrument was distributed by email to a random sample of nurses working in inpatient hospitals in Utah (n = 1253). …

The Ability To Classify Patients Based On Gene-Expression Data Varies By Algorithm And Performance Metric, Stephen Piccolo, Avery Mecham, Nathan P. Golightly, Jérémie L. Johnson, Dustin B. Miller

Faculty Publications

By classifying patients into subgroups, clinicians can provide more effective care than using a uniform approach for all patients. Such subgroups might include patients with a particular disease subtype, patients with a good (or poor) prognosis, or patients most (or least) likely to respond to a particular therapy. Transcriptomic measurements reflect the downstream effects of genomic and epigenomic variations. However, high-throughput technologies generate thousands of measurements per patient, and complex dependencies exist among genes, so it may be infeasible to classify patients using traditional statistical models. Machine-learning classification algorithms can help with this problem. However, hundreds of classification algorithms exist—and …

Detecting Rainbow Trout Introgression In Bonneville Cutthroat Trout Of The Bear River Basin Using Field-Based Phenotypic Characteristics, Kevin A. Meyer, Ryan W. Hillyard, Matthew R. Campbell

Western North American Naturalist

Cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii × rainbow trout O. mykiss hybrids (hereafter hybrids) are difficult to visually distinguish from parental taxa, yet identifying phenotypic traits to separate hybrids from cutthroat trout is needed for conservation and management purposes. We compared phenotypic characteristics against genotype (using 34 species-diagnostic single nucleotide polymorphism loci) for 316 Bonneville cutthroat trout O. clarkii utah, rainbow trout and hybrids in Bear River tributaries. Our phenotypic classifications of fish were 91% accurate for Bonneville cutthroat trout but only 68% accurate for rainbow trout and hybrids combined. Classification errors based on phenotype were observed between parental taxa and …

Descripción Panorámica Del Español En La República Dominicana, Orlando Alba

Faculty Publications

El objetivo de esta presentación consiste en facilitar una ojeada general al español hablado en la República Dominicana. Las principales características fonéticas, morfosintácticas y léxicas son descritas con el aval de múltiples ilustraciones orales que permiten observar de forma directa y segura la realidad lingüística dominicana.

An Observation Of Spring Mating In Silver-Haired Bats, Jeff Clerc, Elizabeth J. Rogers, Emma Kunkle, Nathan W. Fuller

Western North American Naturalist

The mating behavior of North American tree bats (Lasiurus spp. and Lasionycteris noctivagans) is not well understood. The majority of records suggest that this group of species mates during the autumn migratory period and that females store sperm throughout the winter before resuming the reproductive cycle in spring. On 16 May 2019, while mist-netting in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, USA, we observed a male and female silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) copulating on the ground. Both individuals were captured and processed to obtain further details on reproductive status. To our knowledge this is the first published record …

Barriers To Mental Health Help-Seeking Among The Latinx Population In The United States: Primary Care, Family Influences, And Cultural Stigmas, Taylor Percival

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis explores the disparity between the incidence of mental illness and help-seeking and resource utilization among the Latinx population. Research supports that the incidence of mental health issues is as high among this population as it is among any other, but help-seeking behaviors and resource utilization among this population are significantly lower. It is proposed that this difference is caused by family influence, cultural stigma, and lack of access to education and resources. Based on these factors, this thesis will discuss potential solutions that are culturally appropriate and empirically supported. These include family support interventions (psychoeducation, family-centered treatments, and …

Evaluation Of A High School Wellness Center, Malka S. Moya

Theses and Dissertations

High school students are often burdened with academic, home, and peer stressors. With adolescent mental health issues and suicide on the rise, administrators have worked with nonprofits and the community to solve these problems. School-based wellness centers are tranquil rooms for students to decompress for up to 20 minutes during the school day with various sensory activities, calming nature scenes, and sounds for relaxation purposes. Wellness centers are meant to be a haven for self-regulation so students can come back to class with a calmer frame of mind. So far, there has not been a formal evaluation of school-based wellness …

The Word That Encompasses It All, Olivia Baird

Family Perspectives

Serving as a volunteer in Ghana for three months gave Olivia several opportunities to learn what it means to really love others. Here are a few of her experiences and how they taught her what love means.

The New Bride’S Guide To Overcoming “Post-Wedding Depression”, Sierra Livermore

Family Perspectives

It can be confusing and discouraging to feel depressed after marrying the love of your life. Here are four tips to help.

Pushing Through The Unimaginable, Emily Schofield

Family Perspectives

Tips and encouragement for those supporting a loved one who is grieving.

Homeschool: The New Way To Do School, Mckinzi Godfrey Smith

Family Perspectives

The impact that COVID-19 had on the educational system and how it can work for you.