Digital Commons Network^™

Extending The Season For Sustainability In Utah, Britney Hunter

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The importance of providing fresh produce on a local level is becoming a widespread consideration among people concerned with the character of their food. For regions without an opportune growing climate, extending the growing season can drastically advance productivity. High tunnels are one way to effectively and profitably extend the growing season in cold climates. The benefits of growing in a high tunnel go beyond raising the temperature. High tunnels contribute to higher quality small fruits and vegetables. The benefits of growing in high tunnels have been explored in other states and could be exploited by Utah growers. Utah's climate …

Application Of The Transtheoretical Model Of Change To Saving Behaviors Of College Students, Benjamin Franklin Cummings

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Using the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of change (Prochaska & Di Clemente, 1982) as a guide to analyze financial behavior, college students were asked a variety of questions about their financial situations. Recruited from undergraduate classes at Utah State University, 112 students took the online survey. Surprisingly, 44.4% of participants reported being in the Maintenance stage of the TTM, and 71.2% reported contributing at least monthly to some sort of savings or investment account. In terms of Financial Planning Personality Type (Lown, 2007), 46.3% of respondents were Planners and 23.1% were Savers. Though the study displays limitations, it begs further investigation …

Rhyme And Reason In Language Acquisition: Incorporating Poetry Into The Esl Classroom, Kimberly Call Gleason

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Utah is seeing a rapid increase in K-12 students whose native language is not English. With this increase, teachers face the challenge of finding new and effective teaching methods to reach their ESL (English as a Second Language) students. This research explores the study of poetry as an instrument to improve ESL students' pronunciation of English. When read out loud, poetry can be an exercise in pronouncing consonant sounds (from alliteration), decoding vowel sounds (from rhyme), and acquiring the natural speech rhythm of the English language (from meter). Poetry was selected not only because of its exaggerated sound elements (alliteration, …

The Relationship Between Childhood Bereavement And Adult Mental Health, Alicia Kimball

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Bereavement, due to the loss of family and friends, affects approximately 3.7 million children per year in the United States. These losses can have lasting effects such as changed dynamics within a family, decreased academic performance, and poor physical and mental health that not only inhibit a child's ability to function normally but if not dealt with sufficiently can persist into adulthood.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if individuals who experienced a loss in childhood exhibit more mental health problems in adulthood than those who did not. A survey was administered to 209 college students requesting …

Take Your Business Elsewhere: A Marketing Plan For The Usu College Of Business, Mckenzie Rae Anderson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The College of Business study abroad program began in the summer of 2007. The study abroad program promises to be a strong point in the scholastic career of any student that chooses to participate, as well as a key strategy to the future success of the College of Business as a whole.

The success of this program comes from overall national growth in the interest of studying abroad, as well as the trend in business of globalization. While there seems to be some competition for the College of Business study abroad program, the specialized needs that the program addresses provides …

Infant Feeding Practices: History, Nutrient Needs, Assessment Of Nutriture, And Special Concerns, Katy Lynn Bodily

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Ideas regarding infant feeding practices have changed drastically over the past 100 years. Research discovered the composition of human milk, followed by the invention of human milk substitute (HMS). These discoveries lead to many changes in the way people feed infants. The macro and micronutrient needs of infants have been determined, and are used to develop ideal feeding practices for infants. There are many choices available for feeding infants including human milk, HMS, and solid foods. There are many guidelines available that provided suggestions on what to feed an infant, and at what age. Assessing the adequacy on infant feeding …

Why Sex Education, Elizabeth Marie Davis

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Both sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned/unwanted pregnancy are very serious problems faced by our society today. The United States ranks highest in teen pregnancy over other developed country. In order to combat these very serious societal problems it is important to educate our adolescents. Information concerning safer sexual practices and how/where to get protection and contraception are both important. This thesis is a rational for developmentally appropriate content inclusion and a description of curriculum implementation for adolescents in the United States.

Effects Of Ph On Human Cardiac And Neuronal Sodium Channels, William James Israelsen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Voltage-gated sodium channels are large transmembrane proteins that selectively allow the passage of sodium ions across the cell membrane in response to membrane depolarizations (Yu and Catterall, 2003). The resulting influx of positive charge further depolarizes the membrane and is responsible for the upstroke of the action potential. Voltage-gated sodium channels are vital to the initiation and propagation of action potentials in excitable cells such as neurons and myocytes. In vertebrates, there are many different tissue-specific sodium channel isoforms; these include the neuronal (Na_v1.2) and cardiac (Na_v1.5) isoforms. Although very closely related in structure and functional …

Child Sexual Abuse: Development Of Psychiatric Disorders And Interventions, Toshikazu Kuroda

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Child sexual abuse has become a serious social concern due to the recent report of its higher incidence rate than commonly believed. This form of child abuse has been proposed to bring about adverse effects on children's development since more than one century ago. However, research over past decades reveals that effects of sexual abuse are extremely complex and diverse. Particularly, there appear to be many unclear factors increasing the probability for the development of psychiatric disorders in sexually abused children. The present paper investigated how child sexual abuse creates diversity over the course of the victims' development from multiple …

Holding Onto Belief, Benny Nyikos

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

It seems that every major book of philosophy is composed of the author's personal views on the world. The philosopher presents his or her views not only to convince readers to take up his or her views but also to send the ideas in the book out for review and debate in order to test the reaction they receive. With this in mind, this paper will present ideas I have encountered in philosophy classes, read in books, and observed in the world at large. The focus will be on the claim that God is dead and what this means to …

Can't, Shouldn't, And Love Juice: A Midsummer Night's Dream And The Phaedra-Hippolytus Myth, Katherine Shakespeare

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

One of the oldest recurring western mythical traditions finds its roots in the Ancient Near East. At the core of this abiding tale is a high-ranking woman, often married, who attempts to seduce a young man, who spurns her. The affronted woman then accuses the youth of assault and either he or both meet a violent end. Often at the heart of each tale lies something monstrous about the potential union of the two individuals.

In the Greek and Roman tradition, one example of this "spurned-woman" motif manifests itself in the Phaedra-Hippolytus myth. No fewer than three ancient playwrights-Sophocles, Euripides, …

Investigating The Role Of Transcription Factor Ap-2�� In Reproduction, Anne Rachelle Howlett

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The proper formation of gametes is critical for the propagation of species and for the fertility of the individual. The molecular pathways involved in gamete formation remains elusive, therefore, identification of genes involved is an important prerequisite to further our understanding of reproduction. This research will improve infertility treatments and prevention methods in animals and humans. We created mutants that lacked AP-2�� transcription factor after the mouse had entered meiosis and initiated folliculogenesis. The AP-2�� mutants were still fertile and phenotypically similar to normal mice that expressed AP-2�� transcription factor. We also produced mutants that lacked AP-2�� transcription factor during …

Hezbollah - Terrorist Or Not?, Erin E. Forsberg

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Determining whether or not an organization such as Hezbollah is or is not a terrorist group is a rather arduous process, especially since the international community can not agree. However, due to the reasons why Hezbollah was first organized and the group's involvement in the Lebanese political system, along with its network of social services, Hezbollah is not a terrorist organization. In order to prove such a bold statement, the first step must undoubtedly be to come up with a workable and effective definition of terrorism that is hopefully free from moral implications. The second step would be to see …

What Do Families Want? Utah Families Respond To Current Early Intervention Practices, Amy Poole-Zisette

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This study surveyed Utah families who are currently enrolled in six different early intervention programs for their children 0-3 years of age with special needs. The purpose of this study was to examine how skills and qualities families felt were important in their early interventionists changed in order to determine what skills and qualities were most important to different demographics of families. Participating families filled out a questionnaire which rated the degree to which they found various skills and qualities important for an early intervention practitioner to possess, as well as the perceived frequency with which early interventionists used said …

Common Nutritional Deficiencies In The Three Richest Versus The Poorest Countries In The World: Why Are They Similar Or Different?, Ginger Ann Bailey

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Over one billion people suffer from nutritional deficiencies, and they reside in both the poorest and the richest countries in the world. What needs to be determined is if the deficiencies are similar or different, and most importantly why. By learning what nutritional deficits exist in these countries and why they occur, we are then able to create appropriate interventions in order to improve the nutritional status of populations worldwide.

Does Glutamine Supplementation Contribute To The Incidence Of Diarrhea In Ventaltor Dependent Patients?, Justin Johnson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In this project we investigated the incidence of diarrhea and its possible causes in ventilator dependent patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) at McKay-Dee Hospital. Chronic diarrhea has been a long time problem in the ICU, but the etiology has never been fully explored. High dose antibiotic therapy has been thought to be a potential risk factor. Another proposed risk has been the use of glutamine, a conditionally essential amino acid contained in some enteral products. Glutamine is commonly used in feeding critically ill patients because of its immune enhancing properties.

Currently, we have not established a correlation between …

Enhanced Biological Control Of The Cereal Leaf Beetle, Melody Rose Anderson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Many biological and environmental interactions can affect the biological control of the cereal leaf beetle (CLB; Oulema melanopus [L.]). We studied the biological control potential of predatory lady beetles and a parasitoid wasp in fall wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Lady beetles were surveyed in grain fields with high CLB density (up to 50 CLB larvae per 0.09m²). The effects of sugar applied to wheat as an additional food source for Tetrastichus julis (Walker) were also measured. The CLB population followed the typical pattern of high adult and egg numbers in May, peak larval numbers in late May, …

Efficacy Of Heart Health Claims Regarding Trans Fat, Unsaturated Fat, And Stanols/Sterols, Elaine Watkins

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In the United States, nearly 80 million people have some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This amounts to one in three adults, making it the number one cause of death each year for over a century. Because of the high prevalence of CVD, it is a priority in the U.S. to decrease its morbidity and mortality. Extensive research has been dedicated to pinpointing risk factors, determining preventive techniques, and developing treatments. A major focus in this research is the role of nutrition in the pathogenesis of CVD. Quality of diet is an important factor in health and disease progression. To …

Sustainable Materials In High-End Residential Interior Design, Sarah Platt

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Our most contemporary architecture is the biggest culprit contributing to global warming. We see the results globally, from one corner to the other affecting everything in between: Phillipine forests are clear-cut for plywood used to construct Japanese offices; homes in Southern California are framed with old-growth lumber from Washington and powered by burning coal strip-mined from Navajo sacred lands in Arizona. Point being, the destructive power of poor design isn't limited to the end-user, if affects everyone. Additionally, not only are these buildings forever altering the landscape they are placed upon and everywhere their resources were pulled from, but everything …

Interpersonal Distance In Social Relationships And Mental Health Outcomes In A Glbt Sample, Kristina Mcdougal

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Ample research has been conducted on how heterosexuals distance themselves from gays and lesbians through lack of emotional attachment, job discrimination, and lack of familial support, yet there has been little research on how people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT) view this distancing. To examine the distancing from the point of view of people in a GLBT sample we surveyed 200 GLBT people at the Annual Pride Not Prejudice celebration in Salt Lake City. Participants were asked how they viewed their relationship with their parents, and how they perceived their parents religiosity. Participants also completed the Beck …

Consumption, Time Preference, And The Life Cycle, Michael Charles Bailey

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This paper presents two life-cycle models of consumption implementing novel assumptions about time preference and subjective time. The goal of this paper is to investigate implications of the existence of subjective time to consumption decisions over the life cycle. The first model is a model of 'systematic impatience' and implements the assumption of increasing subjective time by specifying a time dependent rate of time preference upon which the rational consumers in this model maximize lifetime utility. The second model investigates consumer behavior in subjective time, or the subjective sense of the actual passage of time. Consumers in this model maximize …

Celiac Disease: What Dietitians Can Do To Effectively Treat A Growing Problem, Meagan Roxanne Wade

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The symptomology of celiac disease, also known as gluten-sensitive enteropathy or celiac sprue, was first described in AD 50 by Aretaeus, a noted ancient Greek physician who specialized in isolating and explaining disease states. Clinical manifestations of the disease were distinctly defined by Samuel Gee in 1888 who theorized that diet therapy was likely the treatment for the disease: "the allowance of farinaceous must be small, but if the patient can be cured at all, it must be by means of diet." Farinaceous foods included those rich in starches or mealy in texture. Treatment at the time consisted of a …

The Chasm Between Two Parallel Worlds, Brandi Harline

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In much of the research conducted on military issues, problems are identified years, sometimes decades, before the military publicly acknowledges these concerns; an example of this is sexual assault, which scholars discussed for over thirty years before the military acknowledged the issue. In this paper, I study the value differences between the military leadership and the scholars who study military topics and how these different values may hinder effective communication between the two groups. The method I use in identifying the standards by which the two groups identify problems is content analysis on articles published by the two communities, calculating …

Malnutrition In The Elderly In Long-Term Care Facilities, Cindy L. Pitcher

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In 2000, there were 17,000 nursing homes in the United States housing about 1.5 million residents over the age of 65. Approximately 75% of long-term residents are women. The average length of stay for residents is 2.5 years, so in essence the nursing home becomes their home. Those who are in these long-term care facilities are generally characterized as frail elderly adults who suffer from a host of chronic and acute diseases and conditions. They are most likely cognitively impaired and have a great number of limitations in their activities of daily living (ADL). In addition, data collected by the …

Difficulties Associated With Stepparenting As Predictors Of Remarital Satisfaction And Adjustment, Aaron I. Anderson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

As a result of high divorce and remarriage rates, stepfamilies have become commonplace in society. Researchers and clinicians have suggested that stepchildren can positively and negatively affect remarriage quality. Despite the increasing literature on stepfamilies, few studies have comparatively researched specific stepparenting difficulties as they affect marital satisfaction. Utilizing a sample of newlyweds, this study examines fourteen stepparenting related issues, as measured by the stepparenting subscale of the Questionnaire for Couples in Stepfamilies, and their relationship to marital satisfaction and adjustment.

The Association Between Sleep And Body Mass Index (Bmi) In College Freshmen At Utah State University, Mary-Marie Austin Sullivan

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Background: Obesity has become a major health problem with increasing prevalence in the United States. Cases of obesity have increased at alarming rates and have almost doubled over the past 40 years. During this same period of time, sleep duration for all age groups has significantly declined. Because sleep duration is a potential mediator of energy metabolism and body weight, it is an important aspect of health. An association between short habitual sleep time and increased body mass index (BMI) has been reported in large population studies for US young adults. Freshmen college students may encounter many environmental and emotional …

A Nationwide Comparison Of Aviation Programs, D. Jason Mcconnell

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Students considering a college education have many different priorities in mind. When considering a career in aviation after graduation, it brings a whole new set of priorities into the picture. When I was searching for a university degree in aviation I had two major concerns: location and quality of the flight school. Cost was also on my list of concerns but more as a restriction than an option. In other words, I was willing to pay more for the schooling provided it did not get so excessive that I could no longer afford to go. Utah State was among three …