Digital Commons Network^™

Unintentional Or Not, It's Racist, Logan Andrews

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

No one should have to live in a world where they are mistreated and hurt simply because of the color of their skin.

Ten Considerations For Solar-Powered Irrigation In Utah, Ngonidzashe Mufute, Matt Yost, Burdette Barker, Kalen Taylor, Mark Nelson, Randall Violett, Jody Gale

All Current Publications

This fact sheet outlines considerations for using solar-powered irrigation in Utah:

• Solar powered irrigation (SPI) is becoming more cost effective and practical to consider on the farm as the cost of alternative sources of energy are rising.
• Irrigators can now benefit from incentives such as tax credits to help offset costs.
• Investing in solar provides more independence from price fluctuations and energy shortages.
• Considerations for SPI systems include energy demand of the irrigation system, type and value of crops grown, available incentives and support, cost and accessibility of alternative energy sources, and multiple uses of the …

My Journey In Choosing A Major, Katherine Pierson

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

College students have an important choice to make as they start their journey in academia: What should major in? When looking at the different fields of study we often look at what we enjoy as well as what we can see ourselves doing beyond our college years. As a student myself, I have been struggling with this decision of what my focus of study should be. By researching my main choices I have been able to gain a better understanding of what I personally want to study here at Utah State University.Research was conducted by viewing primary and secondary articles …

The Effect Of Fish Oil Supplementation And A Western-Type Diet On Gut Health, Marcus Hayden

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide and has increased incidence in more developed countries (Parkin et al., 2005). Diets in more developed and Westernized countries, where CRC is more prevalent, tend to be energy-dense and nutrient deficient. Discovering which food patterns inhibit inflammation matters because the duration of colitis is a risk factor for CRC. Deficiencies in an American diet led to decreased gut microbiota diversity and increased prevalence of colitis. A key component of colon health is the microbiome. Dietary bioactive compounds change the composition of the microbiome. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a promising …

Music Streaming: Artists, Labels, And Revenue, Ronald Sanders

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

Is the current model of music streaming sustainable? I wanted to learn what problems were plaguing the music industry due to streaming. I searched to find benefits to streaming, how streaming affects artists, and how streaming affects consumers. The research was conducted using library and internet resources to locate both primary and secondary research. I looked at articles published by active music journal sites, as well as sites like the New York Times, which interviewed artists affected directly by streaming. I found many problems that come with streaming, and most of these problems directly affect the artists involved. Revenue distribution …

Electrochemical Dna-Based Biosensor For The Detection Of Dnase I Activity For Potential Application For Crispr-Cas Based Biosensor, Tessa Siler

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

Dioxyribonuclease I (DNase I, DC 3.1.21.1) is an enzyme that cleaves DNA at phosphodiester linkages. The deviation of DNase I activity is a significant important marker for several diseases. For example, the lower activity of DNase can cause arthritis and several other autoimmune diseases, whereas higher DNase I activities are observed in patients with breast and oral cavity cancers. This makes monitoring the DNase I activity important for clinical and point-of-care diagnostics.Several methods were developed to assay DNase I activity, such as the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), fluorimetric assays, radial immunodiffusion (RID) and radial enzyme diffusion (RED) assays. These methods …

Modeling Plant Migration In A Varying Landscape, Seth Corbridge

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

It is important to predict how plants will migrate under the changing conditions associated with climate change. In particular, finding instances where plants migrate quickly will help in predicting which plant species are in danger of being outpaced by climate change. Many existing models for plant migration assume a homogeneous landscape, however this is not always fully realistic. This project considers a model incorporating landscape heterogeneity for modeling plant migration. By forming a landscape of varying patches of high and low motilities, it is shown how a varying landscape can lead to increased migration rates in some cases when compared …

Please, Sir, Can We Have More? Suggestions For Teaching Creative Writing In Secondary Education, Amy Shaw

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

The instruction of creative writing encourages students to engage in creative thinking. This leads to students using a variety of approaches to solve problems, analyze multiple viewpoints, adapt ideas, and arrive to new solutions. The purpose of this research is to identify ways educators can improve the incorporation and use of creative writing for secondary aged students. I surveyed students enrolled in creative writing class at USU about their previous school writing as well as interviewed former secondary school teachers about their experiences with creative writing in secondary school. In this study, I dive into some of the different lessons …

Dating Apps: Proceed With Caution, Jenna Tolman

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

Dating apps are becoming increasingly more prevalent in the lives of many. This led me to ask, do dating apps lead to success for all groups of people, and what defines success for these people? To conduct this research I looked for sources in a variety of online databases, looking for both primary and secondary sources on the success rates and outcomes of using dating apps. I also used my own personal experiences with dating apps. Research for this topic was done through online databases and search engines. Through my research, exploring all sides of dating apps and taking into …

Listening To Music While Studying, Does It Help Or Not?, Kaleb Phillips

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

Many college students listen to music. Many say that it helps them focus on their schoolwork and helps them retain knowledge. When I started this research, I wanted to find ways for me to help focus on my schoolwork. I get distracted easily and find joy when I listen to some kinds of music. Does music help you focus? Does it depend on the type of music, or can it be any type? Does it work for everyone? Research was conducted using library and internet resources to locate both primary and secondary research. For this study, I also performed my …

Multimodel Courtship Signaling In The Family Hylidae, Addie Lloyd

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

It is becoming increasingly obvious that species' courtship is more complex than originally thought. Hundreds of studies have described courtship systems focusing on a single trait, but we know many species have multiple signaling methods (Hebets, 2005). Multimodal courtship describes a composition of signals covering different sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, and tactile. Is having multiple courtship methods better than just one? This study focused on two types of signaling- sexual dichromatism and the presence of vocal sacs- in the family Hylidae. The goal was to determine the preferred signaling methods and their evolutionary relationship. We predicted that most species …

Wild/Feral Horses: The Great Debate Between Freedom And Capturing, Jolee Lamoreaux

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

Wild Horses have been around for as long as anyone can remember. However, there has been a great debate that these horses are harmful to the environment and they need to be taken care of either by rehoming or slaughtering. This study aims to determine why people think these horses are harmful and what has been done to try and solve the issue. I conducted my research mostly by researching keywords and evaluating my search results to examine credible sources. The three major claims that I wanted to make sure I addressed in my paper were the history and background …

Women In The Aviation Community, Sarah Bass

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

The aviation community today has little diversity, women and women of color are under represented. Through this study I was hoping to discover the reasons for this gender gap and the lack of diversity in this community. Research was conducted using library and internet resources to locate both primary and secondary research. As well as personal experience within this community allowed me to review documents to find reasoning for this gender and diversity gap. This gender and diversity gap in the aviation community is due to the lack of role models and women being responsible for breaking through gender stereotypes …

Effects Of Exposure To Atmospheric Humidity On Breakdown Field Strength Measurements Of Polymers, Megan Loveland Dewaal

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

This study investigates the effects of absorbed water introduced via exposure to atmospheric humidity on electrostatic breakdown field strength measurements of polymers. Conducting breakdown tests under sample conditions appropriate for different applications is essential. If the breakdown field strength is overestimated for an application, an insulator may be used inappropriately in high electric fields where they are more likely to break down. Comparisons are made between: sets of pristine samples, samples that underwent a thorough vacuum bake out to evaporate absorbed water, and samples subject to subsequent incremental prolonged atmospheric exposure. These investigated the effects of absorbed water and determined …

Spooks And Spanks; Unraveling Paranormal Romance's Presence On Booktok, Lizzy Bermudez

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

This research project examines the frequency at which the romance subgenre, paranormal romance, appears on the online social media subcommunity BookTok. The term paranormal romance refers to any title containing a protagonist or associate who is deemed to be unnatural or supernatural in species, ability, presence, or otherwise wherein a romance containing the supernatural character is prominently featured. Collecting data from top BookTok accounts, we found that paranormal romance appeared more often within BookTok creator content. However, surveys from BookTok users asserted that the contemporary romance subgenre dominated their 'For You Pages.' Interviews with BookTok creators suggest that BookTok viewers …

Calling Back Cursive, Kari Thompson

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

Research into the importance of cursive writing in elementary schools and whether it should still be taught. Research was conducted using library and internet recourses to locate both primary and secondary research. The conclusion was that cursive writing is most beneficial when introduced before the third grade. Cursive is easy to learn because it follows children's natural movement during brain development. Students that learn cursive perform better at spelling and written communication than those who do not. Cursive writing promotes memory retention and higher motor skills. This type of penmanship should be implemented in elementary school curriculum.

An Explanation Of Self Harm And Giving Help, Jessica Johnson

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

Self harm is a highly misunderstood coping mechanism that often results in stigma. Self harm is the action of hurting one's self with the intent of doing so. There are multiple factors and forms of self injury. Teenagers are the most likely to self harm due to the fact that they are not developed enough to handle emotions. Members of minorities are also more likely to self harm. People self harm for their individual reasons, but a common reason is to manage negative emotions.

Schoolyard Activity Of Children At Risk For Communication And/Or Language Delays, Mason Widdison

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

INTRODUCTION Low parental education, hearing loss, premature birth, and several developmental disorders put children at risk for communication and/or language delays, which adversely affect social development and academic readiness. Our purpose was to characterize the outdoor free-play behaviors of children who are at risk of such delays to ultimately inform changes to the schoolyard environment which promote physical activity, social interaction, and language development. METHODS Children (N=16) in preschool or kindergarten who are at risk for communication and/or language delays were observed for a single day, which included one or two 30-minute recess periods, depending on whether the child attended …

Collagen And Pdms Scaffolds For C2c12 Muscle Tissue Cell Line, Alisa Dabb, Sariah Jardine, Clayton Lords

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

In tissue engineering, scaffolds are vital materials for cell growth. Scaffolds are used to provide the structural support for cell attachment and eventually tissue development. Although scaffold properties need to change to suit the nature and properties of the cells, most scaffolds need to simulate the extracellular matrix of the cells. Collagen is a major component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in most tissues. Therefore, collagen is a favorable scaffold material for most tissues, including muscle tissue. However, collagen has poor mechanical properties; it is sometimes combined with synthetic polymers such as poly-Lactic Acid (PLA) for structural support. Furthermore, poly(dimethyl …

Investigating The Color-Changing Properties Of Poly-Phenyl Sulfide, Dallen Dewaal

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

Investigating the Color-Changing Properties of Poly-Phenyl Sulfide Dallen DeWaal, Megan Loveland DeWaal, Heather Allen, JR DennisonMaterials Physics Group, Physics Department, Utah State UniversityAbstractWhile preparing samples of FortronTM PPS (poly-phenyl sulfide) for spacecraft charging testing, it was discovered that the polymeric dielectric material exhibits color-changing properties from mechanical forces while shearing and bending. Given enough time, PPS reverts from blue-green back to its original tan color. PPS samples were characterized by the magnitude of color change and recovery time. PPS samples were subjected to multiple tests to discover which forms of energy input activate the color change, and which (if any) …

How Does Perceived Human Instability Affect One's Own Stability?, Madi Braunersrither

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

Participants were prompted to evaluate the stability of pictured human postures while standing on a force plate. We measured irregularity by analyzing the presence of patterns in the sequential center of pressure values. To measure the presence of patterns, sample entropy, a time series statistic, was developed and we utilized it on the force plate data. Does one's own stability change when viewing a posture deemed unstable? Is Sample Entropy (SampEn) an effective tool to determine stability? This relationship could have implications for modeling the progression of motor skills, understanding human development, and the design of environments for rehabilitation.

Who Are We When What We Are Changes: The Transhumanism Movement, Logan Mattson

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

The concept of humanity is changing and will continue to change as we develop technologically. Improvements in artificial limbs, the ability to print organs using stem cells, and direct neural interfaces will progress the option to improve on what people are capable of technologically and biologically to the point of raising the question 'what is human?' We must consider this question and its possible answers to know how we as a society may meet these coming changes to many of our base conceptions of identity. This paper addresses the concepts behind some of these changes and how they may impact …

The Stigma Against Elderly Drivers And An Analysis Of The Effects Of Age On Driving Ability, Alexander Lee

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

Elderly drivers are not as big of a danger on the road as the general population believes. This was preliminary research into the significance of elderly drivers on the road and the statistical data on whether they are a hazard on the road. They are among the minority of people that are in car accidents and most elderly people still on the road are more experienced and drive safer to compensate for ailments they may experience from their age. Elderly that can not drive safely or can pose a hazard on the road usually remove themselves from driving or are …

Shakespeare, Sign Language, And The Seraglio, Ashleigh Sabin

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

The research in this project aims to give context for a reference to a "mute" in Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night (1603), more broadly examine early modern British ideas about deafness and the Ottoman Empire, and examine the non-verbal community in the palace of the seventeenth-century Ottoman Empire (the Seraglio). In this presentation, I argue that early modern British understanding of deaf and non-verbal communities was intrinsically tied to the Ottoman Empire and that this association created both advantages and disadvantages for deaf and non-verbal people in England, as well as continental Europe.

Disability Communication And How Society Needs To Be More Inclusive, Olivia Colton

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

Historically people with disabilities have been discriminated against and oppressed by the dominant culture of "normal" people. During this project, I wanted to look more into how people with disabilities have been treated by society, are currently being treated in today's society, and how society needs to/should change to become more inclusive. For this project, my research was done using both library and internet sources to find both primary and secondary research. With this research, I was able to find and review both studies of people with disabilities and personal accounts and stories. After evaluating the sources I found that …

The Choice Of My Degree, Treyger Shumway

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

I was Looking into what major would fit me the better between the medical field and psychology because I needed to decide what to major in so that I can begin the journey to my bachelors degree. I looked into the different career paths that I wanted to pursue at Utah state where i did most of my research through internet sources where I located primary and secondary sources to inform my decision. For this I looked into current requirements and career paths to help persuade my decision. This research led me to believe that psychology is a better fit …

Liquid Sandbox For Rapidly Optimizing The Thermal Management Of High-Power Wireless Charging Systems, Conner Sabin

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

Wireless charging is currently being researched as an alternative to plug in charging for electric vehicles. These systems are tested in concrete and asphalt highways. A current limitation in research is understanding how to manage the heat that these systems produce in the roadway.Prototyping wireless charging systems in concrete or asphalt is time intensive and expensive. An alternative way to test the thermal management of these systems is to prototype the systems in sand and use the results of sand experiments in combination with thermal simulation software to predict how systems will perform in concrete.My project consists of two parts.I …

Perceived Factors Contributing To The Subjective Wellbeing Of Undergraduate Engineering Students: An Exploratory Study, Muhammad Asghar, Angela Minichiello, Assad Iqbal

Engineering Education Student Research

Engineering education is perceived to be a tough field of study with detrimental effects on the mental health of undergraduate engineering students. High levels of anxiety and depression are reported among this population. Overall, mental health research is often biased toward looking at mental health from a deficit perspective and investigating mental health as a negative phenomenon. This trend also persists in engineering education research. The purpose of this exploratory study, therefore, is to investigate the condition of subjective wellbeing (SWB) of undergraduate engineering students to understand the factors that they perceive as positively contributing to their overall wellbeing in …

Indigenous Citizens And Black Republicans: Continuities And Evolutions Of Subalterns’ Political Visions And Repertoires In Post-Independence Colombia And Mexico, James Sanders

History Faculty Publications

This essay focuses on how Indigenous peoples in Colombia and Mexico sought to create a distinct politics, in which they could protect their colonial identities and local customs, within the new independent and republican nation-states of the Americas. Indigenous communities succeed in combining universal republican citizenship and particular colonial identities, maintaining more of a connection with the past, but nevertheless creating innovative solutions to adapt to the republican present. In contrast, popular African-Colombian actors eagerly embraced the possibilities of citizenship in new republican nation states, seeking to abandon a colonial identity associated with slavery. Both Afro-Colombians and Indígenas adapted traditional …

When Death Strikes: How The Criminal Justice System Lets Members Of Marginalized Communities Be Victimized By Serial Killers, Crius Paulus

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

The variables within criminal investigations predispose members of marginalized populations to be victimized by serial killers. In this paper secondary and primary sources from the Merrill-Cazier library and internet were studied to understand the variables in and out of law enforcement control within criminal homicide investigations. Primarily, the focus was on the variables in police control–highly focused on cognitive biases. Police biases surrounding a victim's identity(ies) impacts their perceptions and responses to an investigation. Racism, misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia within law enforcement can have explicit negative effects on investigations. The case studies of Samuel Little, the West Mesa Murders, and …