Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating Heat Risk Messaging Using Social Media Studies And A Survey Experiment, Yajie Li

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Extreme heat causes hundreds of deaths each year in the United States even though cost-effective protective measures are available. Heat warning messages sent by government agencies have the potential to reduce the negative impacts by motivating people to take protective actions. To help reach the potential, this dissertation examined the content of warning messages and public responses to warning messages in the US. This research analyzed three kinds of data: 1) heat warning messages posted on Twitter, 2) public comments on heat warning messages posted on Facebook, and 3) experimental results collected using an online survey.

Results show that, for …

Achieving Hate Speech Detection In A Low Resource Setting, Peiyu Li

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Online social networks provide people with convenient platforms to communicate and share life moments. However, because of the anonymous property of these social media platforms, the cases of online hate speeches are increasing. Hate speech is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as “public speech that expresses hate or encourages violence towards a person or group based on something such as race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation”. Online hate speech has caused serious negative effects to legitimate users, including mental or emotional stress, reputational damage, and fear for one’s safety. To protect legitimate online users, automatically hate speech detection techniques are …

The Relationship Between Social Skills And Coping Drinking Motives: A Test Of The Social Skills Deficit Vulnerability Model, Jaimee A. Smart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Because drinking alcohol to cope has many negative outcomes (e.g., alcohol use disorder, problematic drinking patterns, etc.), it is vital to understand what contributes to drinking to cope. Having adequate social skills and social support has been found to help overall mental health. As such, it was logical to reason that social skills and social support could also impact physical health. Specifically, social skills and social support were examined as potential ways to buffer coping drinking development. This study utilized information from 176 adults living in the United States to understand the role social skills and social support play in …

Trends In Cooperative Extension Calls From 2010 - 2019, Emily Elizabeth Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purposes of this study are to assess the most frequently addressed topics that the public has for Family Consumer Sciences (FCS) related Extension professionals and to indicate whether the topics are changing over time, with a specific interest in changes to food safety and preservation inquiries. The CES office in one county in a western state has been collecting FCS data from the years 2010 to 2019. This data is about the FCS-specific phone calls received to the office. The data was then coded and put into an Excel spreadsheet. There were a total of 5,863 phone calls with …

Associations Between Adolescent And Parent Media Connection And Perceptions Of Emotional Climate In The Home, Laura A. Woodland

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An overwhelming increase in technology and media use this past decade has been found to affect family relationships in various ways. Devices such as cell phones, tablets, and computers, have been found to both be the means of bringing family members closer together by communicating from a distance, while also disrupting and straining family connection, in particular the adolescent to parent relationship. Data from the Flourishing Families Project was used to analyze the varying perceptions of adolescent and parents regarding technology communication with one another and their personal perception of the emotional climate in the home. Results from this study …

Investigating Routes And Effects Of Pesticide Exposure On The Blue Orchard Bee (Osmia Lignaria), Andi M. Kopit

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

With native pollinator species on the decline and the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) industry suffering, it is imperative that we understand the impacts of agricultural practices on pollinators. The blue orchard bee, Osmia lignaria (Megachilidae), is an important alternative pollinator of commercial orchards. Osmia lignaria are solitary, cavity nesting bees with a wide distribution across North America. This species and other solitary, cavity nesting bees experience different routes of pesticide exposure than social pollinators, such as colony-dwelling bumble bees and honey bees. Chapter I focuses on routes of pesticide exposure experienced by cavity-nesting bees, incorporating the relative importance …

Effects Of Flow Path Factors In The Permeability Of Natural And Man-Made Granular Soils Using The Kozeny-Carman Equation, Robert Davies

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The research presented in this paper serves to observe how the flow path factors relate to the void ratio, the effective diameter of a soil particle, and the permeability of a given sample assuming the behavior is consistent across natural and artificial soils. The basis of the comparison is the derived Kozeny-Carman Equation for permeability with focus on the factors C_s and C_l where C_s represents the shape of the flow path and C_l represents the length of the flow path that a single water molecule must travel through a soil sample. Permeameter tests were conducted …

Personal Identity And The Influence Of Outlaw Folklore, William "Bacon" Nivison

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Folklore being a relatively new science there is still debate going on about what Folklore actually is. Most of what one reads is relative to who the “folk” are, where the “lore” comes from and how it is inspired. This thesis looks at folkore from a viewpoint which observes folklore from the other direction. Not how do the folk create the lore, rather how does the lore create the folk?

Folklore is well shown to be a product, or at least an abstract of one’s personal identity, but, is it not also a tool used by the individual in the …

Teaching Chinese As A Second Language: Exploring Teaching Methods, Identity Development, And Learner-Centered Education, Zhen Li

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio includes a collection of essays reflecting the writer’s beliefs about teaching and explorations of topics related to second language teaching, especially in the context of teaching Chinese as a foreign language. The first part of the portfolio consists of the writer’s teaching philosophy statement, professional environment, and reflections on her observations of other teachers’ classes. The second part consists of two papers focused on the interconnections between language and culture. The first explores refusal strategies in Chinese while the second addresses identity negotiation in Chinese Heritage Learners’ study abroad experiences. The third part is an annotated bibliography on …

Compassionate Support Training For Adults Impacted By Mental Illness: A Workshop Series Using Transformative Learning Pedagogy, Lindsay Bennett

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This professional project aims to translate current compassion academic research and scholarship for my client partner, the Cache County chapter of NAMI, to aid the family members of loved ones who live with mental illness.

Collaborative Classrooms: Incorporating Pragmatics And Technology In Language Learning With A Focus On Generation 1.5, Brandee Burk

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio is a compilation of work that the author accomplished during the Master of Second Language Teaching program at Utah State University (USU). It reflects the culmination of the author’s learning and teaching experiences during her coursework and as a graduate teaching assistant (GTA) in the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI).

The portfolio contains three main sections: teaching perspectives, research perspectives, and an annotated bibliography. In the first section the author explains her desired professional environment, her philosophy of teaching, as well as insights from language classroom observations she will incorporate into her teaching. The research perspectives section consists …

Conserving Water Through Modular Planting Design: Water-Wise Templates For Ogden's Residential Front Yard Landscapes, Jessica Clements

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Due to the arid climate of the Wasatch front and the projected population growth in the next thirty years, water conservation is essential. Consequently, because the landscape consumes 60% of Utah residences’ purified drinking water, water-wise landscaping needs to be a priority. This thesis creates water-wise landscape templates that can be applied to the front yards of Ogden rental properties using a modular planting method. This study determines best practices by researching topics such as water-wise plants for Northern Utah, templates utilized in other areas, modular planting, and existing organizations with similar goals. This results in a user-friendly guide that …

Retail Trading And Stock Volatility: The Case Of Robinhood, Cooper Jones

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

We examine the relation between Robinhood usership and stock market volatility. We show that daily fluctuations in Robinhood usership, which is used to proxy retail trading, significantly influence various measures of volatility. These results might suggest that Robinhood users contribute to noise trading as they are generally individuals trading on name recognition, media coverage, popularity, and familiarity of products, rather than on fundamental values. In our empirical approach, we find that the percentage increase in Robinhood usership Granger causes increases in daily stock volatility.

Augmenting The Site Analysis Phase Of The Design Process Using Virtual Reality And Drones, Brandon Blauer

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Virtual reality (VR) is a tool that has been utilized by designers for decades now. In most cases, VR has been utilized in the latter part of the design process. More specifically, VR has been used most commonly towards the design review phase of the design process where people are often looking for a final design suggestion. With regards to the design review phase, there have been many reports discussing the effectiveness of VR. However, there has been little to no research regarding the use of VR in the site analysis phase of the design process.

This thesis develops a …

The Sea Calls: A Selkie's Liminal Existence, Frances Avery

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Traditionally, the selkies (or seal people) of Scottish-Irish lore exist between spaces: the land and the sea, human and animal, childbearing and childless. Their existence at sea is voluntary but their existence on land is forced. Once the selkie has left behind its sealskin and both the literal and metaphorical sealskin has been stolen, the selkie becomes subject to human will. The lenses of body, reclamation, violation, and abuse prove that the reason why selkies have faded from popularity is because the lessons are too mature for a young audience. A feminist and queer reading and interpretation of this traditional …

Where Light Greets Night: A Modern Retelling Of "The Sea-Hare", Kelsie Peterson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Set in the Pacific Northwest, this contemporary retelling of the Brothers Grimm’s traditional tale sees a tower as a lighthouse, a princess as a keeper, and suitors as candidates for her replacement. The critical introduction of this thesis discusses the idea of “telephoning the narrative” and establishes the importance of modern fairy retellings. With an in-depth examination of binaries within the traditional tale and how they are handled within the retelling, the introduction sets the stage for the way “Where Light Greets Night” works to blur such black and white ideas. This tale also seeks to question judgment and bias …

Snapdragon Cut Flower Production In Utah, Maegen Lewis, Melanie Stock, Tiffany Maughan, Brent Black, Dan Drost

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes snapdragon cut flower production in Utah. Snapdragons can bloom spring through fall, with the highest quality stems produced during cool temperatures. Cultivars are grouped based on their blooming response to light and temperature. High-quality stem production can last up to 21 weeks by using multiple groups, staggered planting dates in a high tunnel and field, pinching, and pruning techniques.

The Utah Statesman, April 26th, 2021, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Improving Skills In Computer Methods: Introductory Toolkit To Python For Undergraduate Physics Majors, Erin O'Donnell, Melissa Rasmussen

Physics Capstone Projects

The computer-based curriculum for undergraduate physics students before 2019 struggled to stay current and applicable. When the course was created in the early 2000s, MathCad was used daily by many physicists. As computer’s and their computational abilities have grown exponentially, so have programming languages and applications. Now in the late 2010s/early 2020s, Excel, Python, and Mathematica are some of the most common computer appliques. To address this, we created toolkits to give undergraduate physicists the experience for future classes, careers, and graduate school. This paper focuses on the process for creating the Python toolkit and overall class setup. Run on …

Faculty Senate Agenda, April 26, 2021, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC Monthly Report – April 1, 2021
• Committee on Committees Annual Report
• Calendar Committee Annual Report
• Recruitment and Retention Annual Report
• Review Code Status | Faculty Code Rewrite
• Faculty Development, Diversity and Equity Resolution
• Faculty Senate President Elect
• Concluding Remarks, Passing of the Gavel
• College Caucus to Elect FSEC Members

Prescribed Fire Alters Structure And Composition Of A Mid-Atlantic Oak Forest Up To Eight Years After Burning, Cody L. Dems, Alan H. Taylor, Erica A. H. Smithwick, Jesse K. Kreye, Margot W. Kaye

Aspen Bibliography

Background

Prescribed fire in Eastern deciduous forests has been understudied relative to other regions in the United States. In Pennsylvania, USA, prescribed fire use has increased more than five-fold since 2009, yet forest response has not been extensively studied. Due to variations in forest composition and the feedback between vegetation and fire, Pennsylvania deciduous forests may burn and respond differently than forests across the eastern US. We measured changes in forest structure and composition up to eight years after prescribed fire in a hardwood forest of the Ridge and Valley region of the Appalachian Mountains in central Pennsylvania.

Results

Within …

The Utah Statesman, April 19th, 2021, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Light At The Core Of Reconciliation In Canada - Introducing The Path Of Algonquin Chief T8aminik Rankin And Kokum Marie-JoséE Tardif, Sandy Lamalle

Journal of Indigenous Research

Inspiring men and women have been weaving profound change across Canada - contributing to the process of Truth and Reconciliation. Among the survivors of the residential schools, not only did they have the courage to resist oppression, to overcome trauma, anger and the destructive representations of themselves they had to cope with, but also the strength to engage in reconciliation and revitalisation of their cultures and languages. This article is a tribute to these weavers of hope and new relationships, and sheds light on their decisive role in leading and empowering transformation. In the perspective of sharing the testimony of …

Chinche De La Semilla Del Olmo, Ryan Davis, Celina Wille

All Current Publications

En julio del 2014, el Laboratorio de Diagnóstico de Plagas de Plantas de Utah y USDA APHIS confirmaron el primer reporte de chinche de semilla del olmo (Lygaeidae: Arocatus melanocephalus) en el estado de Utah. Originaria de Europa, la chinche de la semilla del olmo se identificó por primera vez en los Estados Unidos en Idaho en 2012. Desde entonces se ha encontrado en Oregón, Washington, Columbia Británica, Canadá y en varios lugares de Asia y Europa. Si bien el primer reporte en Utah se originó en el condado de Salt Lake, la chinche de la semilla del olmo ahora …

Onion Epithelial Membranes As A Scaffold For Generating Connective Tissue, Andrea Peterson, Anna Scribner, Annika Saunders

Student Research Symposium

Scaffolds are used for several functions in tissue engineering, including providing structural support and promoting cell adhesion and differentiation. In this study, we examined the value of using onion epithelial membranes (OEM) as a scaffold for skin cell growth. We tested the growth of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts on decellularized and non-decellularized OEM and compared the cell growth to that in typical tissue flask culture conditions. We examined cell growth, viability, and attachment in each culture condition. We found that NIH 3T3 fibroblasts grew on the non-decellularized OEM, but the decellularized OEM was too fragile to use practically. Cell growth on …

Bears Ears And Outdoor Recreation In San Juan County, Jordan Smith, Emily Wilkins, Anna B. Miller

All Current Publications

The creation and subsequent downsizing of Bears Ears National Monument has been one of the most publicized and politicized land management decisions within the state over the past decade. However, relatively little research has been conducted to determine if, and to what extent, the creation of the monument impacted outdoor recreation and recreation-related industries. Now, more than three years after the monument was created, there are sufficient data to take a retrospective look at the influence of the monument. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the influence of Bears Ears National Monument on outdoor recreation and its related …

The Utah Statesman, April 12th, 2021, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Media And The Covid-19 Infodemic, Alek Nelson

Student Research Symposium

The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked an associated infodemic: a wave of misinformation and disinformation. From conspiracy theories about the origin of the virus to beliefs that 5G technology spreads the virus, there is no shortage of myths about the pandemic. This study focuses on where people were receiving news about the pandemic and how that affects belief in misinformation. Through an online survey, researchers also looked at how active vs. passive news consumption and political partisanship affected beliefs in disinformation. These findings can help us understand how the infodemic spreads and how misinformation thrives among certain demographics.Presentation Time: Thursday, 10-11 …

Mft Interventions For Racial/Ethnic Minorities: A Decade-In-Review Of Three Therapeutic Journals, Moana Fullmer

Student Research Symposium

Social inequality and its subsequent marginalization of racial and ethnic minorities are significant societal crises of our time. Racial tensions culminated in an explosive head this past Spring as protestors took to the streets, airwaves, and social media to voice that an immediate change in our culture was in order. A growing body of evidence indicates that mental health disparities that disadvantage racial and ethnic minorities within all mental health fields, including marriage and family therapy (MFT), exist in the United States (Tseng et al., 2021). Currently, in the United States, more than 100 million people identify as racial or …

Transgenic Expression Of Prunus Persica Salt Overly Sensitive 2 (Ppsos2) In Atsos2 Mutant Imparts Salt Tolerance In Arabidopsis, Vishal Singh

Student Research Symposium

Salinity is one of the major environmental stresses that affect crop growth and productivity. Almond crop has a great potential for Utah as a cash crop and salinity is one of the stresses affecting its growth and yield. Although almond trees are sensitive to salt stress, salinity-tolerant rootstocks can play a significant role in sustaining crop production in semiarid areas. Salinity tolerance has a complex mechanism with many genes acting in different pathways. Understanding the role of potential candidate genes is an important aspect of genomics assisted improvement of stress tolerance. In this study, functional complementation of the Prunus persica …