Digital Commons Network^™

Market Learning After Recurrent Meat And Poultry Recalls, Briana Thomas

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

Several studies have been conducted to evaluate the cost of meat and poultry product recalls to food firms. The goal of this analysis is to formally test whether or not subsequent recalls are associated with less negative stock price returns, and whether or not there is a difference in the magnitude of returns between a first, second, and third or more recall. This is completed through an event study analysis. Results indicate that recurring recall events affecting a firm within 12 months of the first recall incident are indeed associated with less impactful negative outcomes. On average, initial recall events …

White Male Privilege: An Intersectional Deconstruction, Matthew J. Etchells, Elizabeth Deuermeyer, Vanessa M. Liles, Samantha M. Meister, Mario Itzel Suárez, Warren L. Chalklen

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

This research saliently deconstructs the philosophical writing of a white, privileged male by five diverse academic peers by using a methodology of deconstruction to analyze the initial author's writing. Their reflects on his nascent perspectives address the stages of racism, mea culpa, the relationship between privilege, oppression, and classism, a feminist perspective, binary, and intersectionality. Further analysis connote for the need to deconstruct privilege in a literary context and to develop an autoethnography to fully delve into privilege beyond a superficial and neglectful narrative.

The Leadership Puzzle, Putting The Pieces Together, Cindy Nelson

All Current Publications

This curriculum relates leadership to putting together a puzzle, including the five steps of leadership, understanding the value of each person in the leadership process/puzzle, learning the four corners of leadership: communication, commitment, cooperation, and character.

Utah 4-H, Creating A Foundational County Contest Structure, Kelsey W. Romney, Alicia Teuscher, Joshua Dallin

All Current Publications

This booklet gives guidelines for structuring county contests in 4-H.

A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis To Synthesize The Influence Of Contexts Of Scaffolding Use On Cognitive Outcomes In Stem Education, Brian Robert Belland, Andrew Walker, Nam Ju Kim

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Computer-based scaffolding provides temporary support that enables students to participate in and become more proficient at complex skills like problem solving, argumentation, and evaluation. While meta-analyses have addressed between-subject differences on cognitive outcomes resulting from scaffolding, none has addressed within-subject gains. This leaves much quantitative scaffolding literature not covered by existing meta-analyses. To address this gap, this study used Bayesian network meta-analysis to synthesize within-subjects (pre–post) differences resulting from scaffolding in 56 studies. We generated the posterior distribution using 20,000 Markov Chain Monte Carlo samples. Scaffolding has a consistently strong effect across student populations, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) …

Live Long And Prosper: Plant–Soil Feedback, Lifespan, And Landscape Abundance Covary, Andrew Kulmatiski, Karen H. Beard, Jeanette M. Norton, Justin Heavilin, Leslie E. Forero, Josephine Grenzer

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Plant soil feedbacks (PSFs) are thought to be important to plant growth and species coexistence, but most support for these hypotheses is derived from short-term greenhouse experiments. Here we use a seven-year, common garden experiment to measure PSFs for seven native and six nonnative species common to the western United States. We use these long-term, field-based estimates to test correlations between PSF and plant landscape abundance, species origin, functional type, and lifespan. To assess potential PSF mechanisms, we also measured soil microbial community composition, root biomass, nitrogen cycling, bulk density, penetration resistance, and shear strength. Plant abundance on the landscape …

Testing The Effectiveness Of Two Natural Selection Simulations In The Context Of A Large‑Enrollment Undergraduate Laboratory Class, Denise S. Pope, Caleb M. Rounds, Jody Clarke-Midura

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Simulations can be an active and engaging way for students to learn about natural selection, and many have been developed, including both physical and virtual simulations. In this study we assessed the student experience of, and learning from, two natural selection simulations, one physical and one virtual, in a large enrollment introductory biology lab course. We assigned students to treatments (the physical or virtual simulation activity) by section and assessed their understanding of natural selection using a multiple-choice pre-/post-test and short-answer responses on a post-lab assignment. We assessed student experience of the activities through structured observations and an affective …

Reliability Underseepage Assessment Of Levees Incorporating Geomorphic Features And Length Effects, Lourdes Polanco Boulware

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It has been estimated that approximately fifty percent of the United States’ population lives behind levees. Because these earth structures are typically long, subjected to seasonal changes and spatial variability, it is logical to analyze them in an uncertainty-based approach. This research is focused on assessing the potential of internal erosion related failure due to underseepage with the general objective of assessing the failure potential of individual geomorphic features while considering length effects. The project team was granted $204,000 from the National Science Foundation and $10,000 from the United States Society on Dams which resulted in research collaboration within graduate …

Urban Bobcat (Lynx Rufus) Ecology In The Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas Metroplex, Julie M. Golla

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Urban landscapes are quickly replacing native habitat around the world. As wildlife and people increasingly overlap in their shared space and resources, so does the potential for human-wildlife conflict, especially with predators. Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are a top predator in several urban areas across the United States and a potential contributor to human-carnivore conflicts. This study evaluated the movements and habitat use of bobcats in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Texas metroplex. Spatial data were collected from 10 bobcats via Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) for approximately one year. Average home range size was 4.60 km² (n=9, SE=0.99 km …

Extracting And Visualizing Data From Mobile And Static Eye Trackers In R And Matlab, Chunyang Li

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Eye tracking is the process of measuring where people are looking at with an eye tracker device. Eye tracking has been used in many scientific fields, such as education, usability research, sports, psychology, and marketing. Eye tracking data are often obtained from a static eye tracker or are manually extracted from a mobile eye tracker. Visualization usually plays an important role in the analysis of eye tracking data. So far, there existed no software package that contains a whole collection of eye tracking data processing and visualization tools. In this dissertation, we review the eye tracking technology, the eye tracking …

Toxicity And Mitochondrial Delivery Of Flavonol-Based Carbon Monoxide-Releasing Molecules, Hector Jose Esquer Heredia

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Despite the reputation of carbon monoxide (CO) as a silent killer, new evidence suggests that this gaseous molecule has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and vasoprotective properties. Unfortunately, little is known about the role of CO in the body. However, proteins present in mitochondria are believed to be important targets. We previously synthesized a class of novel and structurally modifiable flavonol-based CO-releasing molecules (CORMs). Flavonols are commonly found in fruits and vegetables. The base structure, Flav-1, is fluorescent, exhibits low toxicity, and releases CO after exposure to visible light. Previous reports indicate that addition of a triphenylphosphonium (TPP) tail allows chemical structures to …

Landscape Architecture Education: A Study Of Patterns, Tanya Rice

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research is focused on analyzing landscape architecture education of accredited bachelor programs in the U.S. The primary intent was to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the current state of landscape architecture education and the direction in which it is heading. This was conducted through an evaluation of each landscape architecture program’s course offerings. The objectives were to explore the degree of coherence and dispersion of course requirements among programs, compare similarities and differences and identify current patterns, trends, strengths and emphases of the programs. Then design course descriptions were analyzed for identification of word families and cluster networks to …

Allowing The Untellable To Visit: Investigating Digital Folklore, Ptsd And Stigma, Geneva Harline

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the introduction of 2012 issue of The Journal of Folklore Research, Diane Goldstein and Amy Shuman issue a “call to arms for folklorists … to concentrate on the vernacular experience of the stigmatized.” (Goldstein and Shuman, 2012:116). Drawing on this call to arms, this thesis investigates how Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is portrayed in social media through memes and captioned images. I argue that the genres of memes and captioned images in digital folklore work to help mitigate the stigma of PTSD because the veneer of anonymity in the digital world allows people with PTSD to be willing …

Water Surface Impact And Ricochet Of Deformable Elastomeric Spheres, Randy Craig Hurd

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Soft and deformable silicone rubber spheres ricochet from a water surface when rigid spheres and disks (or skipping stones) cannot. This dissertation investigates why these objects are able to skip so successfully. High speed cameras allow us to see that these unique spheres deform significantly as they impact the water surface, flattening into pancake-like shapes with greater area. Though the water entry behavior of deformable spheres deviates from that of rigid spheres, our research shows that if this deformation is accounted for, their behavior can be predicted from previously established methods. Soft spheres skip more easily because they deform significantly …

Investigation And Engineering Of Polyketide Biosynthetic Pathways, Lei Sun

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research is focused on investigation and engineering of natural product biosynthetic pathways for efficient production of pharmaceutically important molecules or generation of new bioactive molecules for drug development.

Natural products are an important source of therapeutics, such as chromomycin (anti-cancer), emodin (anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor) and sprolaxine (anti-Helicobacter pylori). Metabolic engineering of natural product biosynthetic pathways shows its promise for creating and producing valuable compounds with chemical diversity for drug discovery. One goal of this research is to create highly efficient strains to biosynthesize valuable natural products. The engineered Streptomyces roseiscleroticus strain constructed in this work showed higher …

Exploring The Effect Of Disability Microaggressions On Sense Of Belonging And Participation In College Classrooms, Lynsie Harris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Microaggressions are a form of interpersonal discrimination towards marginalized groups that are often ambiguous in nature and delivered unintentionally. The subtleness of these attacks on identity can make them difficult to recognize and address.

Emerging research reveals that the targets of microaggressions are experiencing negative effects on their wellbeing; however, the bulk of existing literature on this topic only addresses microaggressions perpetrated towards racial minority or LGBT individuals. Little is known about pervasiveness and potential impact of microaggressions directed towards people with disabilities- particularly in academic contexts.

This study pilots a measurement tool, the Microaggressions Towards Students with a Disability …

Development Of An Animal Model For Enterovirus For Evaluation D68 For Screening Of Antiviral Therapies, W. Joseph Evans

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) virus has become more prevalent over the last 15 to 20 years. EV-D68 attacks the respiratory system and can cause severe disease in individuals who have underlying respiratory problems. There have also been reports of individuals with EV-D68 showing signs of neurological system problems and acute flaccid paralysis. Because of the increase in patients with EV-D68 and also the potential for neurological disease, an animal model is needed to study the disease and to evaluate experimental therapies for EV-D68 infection.

To develop the animal model, 4-week old AG129 mice that lack alpha and beta interferon receptors, making …

Stillbirth: A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Clinical Encounter For Couples, Michael Q. King

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

With approximately 65 stillbirths occurring each day in the United States, a significant number of parents are left to navigate a difficult grieving process. An event like stillbirth presents many individual and relational challenges. For this study, researchers focused on the hospital experience for couples following notification of stillbirth. Interviews were held with 8 couples that had experienced stillbirth within the past 10 years. Researchers wanted to know what similarities and differences existed in how mothers and fathers described the clinical encounter.

The data for this study were collected through interviews. Couples were encouraged to share as much or as …

Mechanistic Studies Of The Iron And Molybdenum Nitrogenases, Derek Harris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As a basic building block in many biological molecules the element nitrogen (N) is essential for life. Dinitrogen (N2) is abundant in Earth’s atmosphere, but this form is biologically unavailable. To be biologically available N2 must undergo an energy demanding reduction reaction to the fixed form, ammonia (NH3). The industrial Haber-Bosch process, which accounts for approximately 50% of the worlds fixed nitrogen, uses energy from fossil fuels to achieve high pressures and temperatures to facilitate the reaction. The energy used by Haber-Bosch accounts for approximately 2% of the world’s annual supply. The remainder of fixed nitrogen is produced biologically by …

Language Proficiency And Cultural Intelligence In Distance English-Language Learning, Jared Marcum

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study is to explore the viability of an international distance English-language program in the development of language and cultural proficiency. Students participated in tests at the beginning and at the end of the course to determine how well they developed both language and cultural proficiencies. The measures included (a) the computer-administered Oral Proficiency Interview (OPIc) from theAmerican Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), (b) ACTFL-aligned assessments of reading, listening, grammar, and vocabulary skills, and (c) the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS). In addition, course activities surveys provided additional information about student perceptions of course activities. …

Foundations Of Translational Ecology, Carolyn Af Enquist, Stephen T. Jackson, Gregg M. Garfin, Frank W. Davis, Leah R. Gerber, Jeremy A. Littell, Jennifer L. Tank, Adam J. Terando, Tamara U. Wall, Benjamin Halpern, J. Kevin Hiers, Toni Kyn Morelli, Elizabeth Mcnie, Nathan L. Stephenson, Matthew A. Williamson, Connie A. Woodhouse, Laurie Yung, Mark W. Brunson, Kimberly R. Hall, Lauren M. Hallett, Dawn M. Lawson, Max A. Mortiz, Koren Nydick, Amber Pairis, Andrea J. Ray, Claudia Regan, Hugh D. Safford, Mark W. Schwartz, M. Rebecca Shaw

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Ecologists who specialize in translational ecology (TE) seek to link ecological knowledge to decision making by integrating ecological science with the full complement of social dimensions that underlie today's complex environmental issues. TE is motivated by a search for outcomes that directly serve the needs of natural resource managers and decision makers. This objective distinguishes it from both basic and applied ecological research and, as a practice, it deliberately extends research beyond theory or opportunistic applications. TE is uniquely positioned to address complex issues through interdisciplinary team approaches and integrated scientist–practitioner partnerships. The creativity and context-specific knowledge of resource managers, …

Developing A Translational Ecology Workforce, Mark W. Schwarts, J. Kevin Hiers, Frank W. Davis, Gregg M. Garfin, Stephen T. Jackson, Adam J. Terando, Connie A. Woodhouse, Toni Lyn Morelli, Matthew A. Williamson, Mark W. Brunson

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

We define a translational ecologist as a professional ecologist with diverse disciplinary expertise and skill sets, as well as a suitable personal disposition, who engages across social, professional, and disciplinary boundaries to partner with decision makers to achieve practical environmental solutions. Becoming a translational ecologist requires specific attention to obtaining critical non-scientific disciplinary breadth and skills that are not typically gained through graduate-level education. Here, we outline a need for individuals with broad training in interdisciplinary skills, use our personal experiences as a basis for assessing the types of interdisciplinary skills that would benefit potential translational ecologists, and present steps …

Code-Switching And Its Challenges: Perspectives On Translanguaging In The Efl/Esl Classroom, Michael Spooner

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

Structured in sections that represent the author’s teaching perspectives and research perspectives, the portfolio comprises reflective pieces written at the end of the Master of Second Language Teaching program and other pieces written as coursework during the author’s study in that program. In the first section, the author describes the principles that guide his own teaching and, in light of those principles, he reviews his experience as a learner, reports on observations of other teachers, and assesses his own performance based on observations done by others. The second section offers a set of four research papers that progressively develop and …

Some Permanent Hearing Loss Is Missed When "Switched Ear" Passes Are Used To Determine Screening Results, Beverly G. Lim, Maria Perez-Abalo, Jillian Gerstenberger, Shauna Morales Flowers

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

A common practice in Universal Newborn Hearing Screen (UNHS) programs is rolling up non-simultaneous passing results in each ear (SW_EAR) from repeat automated screens into a bilateral pass. This study aims to provide evidence-based criteria for best practices regarding SW_EAR screens. From January 2010 to May 2013, infants with SW_EARs results were prospectively monitored by MEDNAX-Pediatrix’s nationwide UNHS program, which combine inpatient/outpatient screens utilizing automated auditory brainstem response (AABR). The tracked audiologic evaluations of 16,129 refer infants (2,334 due to SW_EAR) out of the total infant population screened (2,492,314) were analyzed retrospectively. A high proportion of hearing loss (354/2334, 15%) …

Measuring Nurses' Knowledge And Understanding Of Universal Newborn Hearing Screenings, Caitlyn Roberts, Alisha L. Jones

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

The present study was conducted to investigate the knowledge and understanding of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) in nursing professionals. A group of 15 adult, licensed nurses with varied professional experience participated in the study. Participants completed both objective and subjective measurements to evaluate their current knowledge of training procedures. A free online UNHS training program offered through the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM) served as both the objective measure and training module. Participants completed pre- and post-surveys as the subjective measure of their UNHS training. Results of these surveys were compared across the participants to determine …

Are Audiologists Directly Referring Children With Hearing Loss To Early Intervention?, Natalie Loyola, Bridget Shanahan, Cailin Shanahan, Kosuke Kawai, Derek J. Stiles

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

This article describes the ways that pediatric audiologists are directing infants into Early Intervention, and the related barriers and facilitators. Over one hundred pediatric audiologists responded to an online survey including questions on how audiologists provide direct and indirect referrals to Early Intervention for those infants that are diagnosed with hearing loss. Most respondents agreed that audiologists are the best person to provide this referral, but many audiologists did not make the direct referral. Barriers to direct referral included time constraints and resistance from parents. Opportunities identified to improve referral included online referral systems and national guidelines for what qualifies …

Effectiveness Of Dexmedetomidine For Sedation In Auditory Brainstem Response Testing, Laura Sherry, Eric Levey, Carolyn Gillen, Joseph P. Pillion

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Sedation is widely used for auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing for infants or young children who are unable to sleep or remain adequately quiet for testing. Because chloral hydrate is no longer readily available, dexmedetomidine has been proposed as an alternative medicinal agent to achieve moderate levels of sedation without risk of respiratory depression. The purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of dexmedetomidine in terms of the completeness of the audiologic data obtained in achieving moderate levels of sedation for auditory brainstem response testing. A retrospective chart review was conducted on ninety-nine patients at Kennedy Krieger Institute. …

The Journal Of Early Hearing Detection And Intervention: Volume 2 Issue 2

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

No abstract provided.

Unpaid Care Work: Impact Recommendation Report, Erin Jemison, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Participants: Anne Burkholder (YWCA Utah), Renata Forste (BYU), Julie de Azevedo Hanks (therapist, researcher), Danny Harris (AARP), Erin Holmes (BYU), Erin Jemison (YWCA Utah), Susan Madsen (UWLP, UVU), Robbyn Scribner (UWLP, UVU), LaDawn Stoddard (UServeUtah), Becky Utz (University of Utah)

Worst Date, Alyssa Burdett

USU Student Folklore Fieldwork

Kay, so this was…like a month ago, maybe? And…we met on Mutual. I’m a little ashamed to say that. [Uncomfortable laugh] Um, but he asked. I was down, um, back in Lehi, for a weekend, aaand he asked me if, if we wanted to do something. So I said sure, why don’t we go to a movie? So he told me about a movie theater I never heard of. So, I actually had to Google it, because I never heard of it before, and it was in the middle of nowhere. So, it was a little sketchy, but I went, …