Digital Commons Network^™

Shame-Proneness And Sexual Satisfaction Among Conservatively Religious Sexual Minorities, Sydney A. Sorrell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined how various aspects of religiousness and sexuality were related to sexual satisfaction among conservatively religious sexual minorities and explored whether dispositional proneness to feeling shame changed these relationships. Analysis of survey data from 315 current and former members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints revealed numerous factors that were related to sexual satisfaction. Sexual minorities who attended more religious services and who were more religiously committed were less sexually satisfied. This may be a result of the conflict a religious sexual minority individual experiences when engaging in same-sex sexual behavior due to stigmatizing religious …

The Latter-Day Saint Home As A Site Of Religious Transition, 1890–1930, Cathy Gilmore

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis examines religion as practiced in the Latter-day Saint home during a period of religious transition between 1890 and 1930. Using the family of June A. Bushman and Hyrum Smith as subjects, we examine how families managed the religious reforms of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during this period. As individuals who came of age at the turn of the twentieth century, June and Hyrum’s lives intersected with their church’s transition from an isolated religion to a modern, American church.
Administrative modernization, priesthood reforms, reimagined family relationships, and other ecclesiastical changes came into tension with the …

Approaches To Supplementing Silicon In Soilless Media And The Value Of Silicon In The Mitigation Of Drought Stress, Mackenzie Grace Dey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Silicon (Si) is not considered an essential element for plants to complete their lifecycle, but is known to be beneficial for plants under environmental stress such as drought. Unlike natural soils, Si is minimally bioavailable in soilless media. With indoor agriculture and greenhouse production increasing, the benefits of Si have been seen and Si should be supplemented. This work aimed to characterize and quantify the dissolution of Si from media substrates and additives to achieve a steady-state release of Si in soilless media. Typical media components such as coconut coir, peat moss, perlite, rock wool, sand, and vermiculite minimally released …

Relativistic, Continuum Drift-Kinetic Capability In The Nimrod Plasma Fluid Code, Tyler Markham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A ”runaway” electron is an electron that, through a self-reinforcing process, accelerates to relativistic speeds. At multiple points during tokamak discharges, relativistic runaway electron (RE) beams can form. RE beams pose a serious risk in the form of severe damage to plasma facing components in ITER and future burning plasma reactors. Early RE studies used simplified geometric and transport models, but enabled feedback on the overall plasma evolution. This feedback is important for understanding the evolution of the RE current column. The work in this thesis is an important step toward self-consistently evolving an RE distribution in the plasma fluid …

Teaching Multicultural Psychology As A Cultural Competence Intervention: An Empirical Evaluation Of Course Components, Elizabeth Tish Hicks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Previous research has shown that a semester-long multicultural psychology course can effectively increase students’ cultural competence-related attitudes when students complete the class in-person and online. Cultural competence refers to the knowledge, awareness, and skills required to appreciate, recognize, and effectively work with members of other cultural groups. This dissertation examined several components of a multicultural psychology course: ethical grading, skill development, and intergroup contact. The first paper discussed techniques used to minimize grading bias and examined whether cultural competence shifts impacted grading. Students’ cultural competence scores did not relate to or predict their grades in the course, which supported the …

Evaluation Of The Geothermal Potential Of The Camas Prairie, South-Central Idaho, Connor J. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The area studied in this thesis was assessed based on the analysis of a water sample collected from the exploratory well USU Camas-1. The water sample was characterized and compared to other water samples collected and analyzed during a previous phase of this project according to its water chemistry.

Lithologic, geophysical, and temperature logs were also used to assess the study area. The depth sensitive data was analyzed to determine the characteristics of the formation as they relate to the favorable parameters of a geothermal resource, those being permeability of the subsurface, heat, and the presence of a clay seal. …

Relationships Between Middle School Students' Adaptive Reasoning When Creating Learner-Generated Drawings And Partner Talk During Inquiry-Based Mathematical Tasks, Angela M. Frabasilio

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adaptive reasoning is one of five components students use to develop mathematical expertise and become mathematically proficient. When students adapt their reasoning they are logically thinking about the mathematical relationships between concepts and adapting their thinking to solve problems. Three Act Math Tasks are popular math problems used in schools in which students engage in adaptive reasoning. These types of problems are beneficial to students because they engage students in inquiry-based learning, a kind of learning where students work to pose questions, interpret data, design ways to solve the problem and present their solutions. Little is known about how students …

Speed Of Small Droplets On Repellent Surfaces, Addison J. Litton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A droplet of fluid can slide or roll down an angled surface if the droplet doesn’t stick to the plate (e.g., droplets on glass). The most common surface to allow for such this motion are hydrophobic surfaces. One example is a freshly waxed car where the rain beads up and rolls off. Another example is if a pan is heated to a high enough temperature then when small amounts of water are added the droplet will skitter around on the surface for a moment before boiling away. This high temperature effect where droplets rest on a vapor layer underneath cause …

Dynamic System Discovery With Recursive Physics-Informed Neural Networks, Jarrod Mau

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis presents a novel method, recursive Physics informed neural network, to learn the right hand side of differential equations. The neural network takes in data, then trains, and then acts as a proxy for the differential equation which can be used for modeling. We show the theoretical superiority of the recursive approach. We also use computer simulations to demonstrate the proved properties.

Parent Work-Family Balance And Adolescent Psychosocial Well-Being During The Covid-19 Shutdown, Shailey Woodward

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Parents who work have many responsibilities to fulfill. They may encounter frustration and exhaustion, which can impact how well they parent. Experiences such as financial strain and the COVID-19 shutdown may further impact parenting. At the same time, adolescents are establishing identities and need attentive parents to help them develop healthy psychosocial well-being. Using Erikson’s (1968) psychosocial theory of development as a backdrop, the purpose of this study was to observe the relationships between parent work-family balance, parenting satisfaction, and adolescent psychosocial well-being within the context of financial stress and the COVID-19 shutdown. I found that parent and adolescent perceptions …

Teacher Home Visits: Changes In Perceptions Of Key Stakeholders, Kevin R. Thomas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Teacher home visits have been shown to improve student attendance, academics and to reduce behavior issues. Three groups are involved: the student, the teacher, and the family (or parent). This research focused on determining if and how the teacher home visit changes the perspectives, expectations, and relationships of these three groups. A survey followed by interviews of some of the students, parents, and teachers was used. The surveys and the interviews were evaluated. Results indicated that perceptions and relationships between stakeholders were improved. Due to low participation rates, results must be interpreted with caution. With these considerations in mind, I …

Sustain Water Conservation Behaviors Using Nonparametric Ranking And Social Marketing, Mahmudur Rahman Aveek

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Circulation of water use feedback and conservation messaging are strategies implemented to reduce water demand on a short-term (seasonal) basis. Often considered a less impactful strategy than other tactics such as price increments and usage restrictions, authorities mostly use feedback in informational campaigns with a focus to apprise users about their water use. Such conservation programs have had limited success that has been attributed to the fact that the information provided with the feedback campaigns was generic and did not motivate users enough to sustain their water-saving behaviors. However, the advent of disaggregation technologies that can provide appliance-wise water use …

Psychosocial Development In Adolescents With Disabilities: Modification And Evaluation Of Measures, Myles Maxey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are often overlooked in research, including psychosocial development (self-esteem, autonomy, attachment, and identity formation). Reliable and consistent survey tools are essential to understanding developmental trends. This study focused on creating surveys that could be comprehended by all adolescents, no matter if they experience IDD or not. Findings from this study suggested that there are more similarities than difference across areas of psychosocial development among adolescents with IDD as well as with their typically developing peers. These findings can help researchers more accurately assess psychosocial development for more adolescents, including those experiencing IDD.

Cuo Nanoparticles Solubility As Influenced By Soil Pore Water, Native Microorganisms, And Wheat Rhizosphere Chemistry In A Sand Matrix, Dakota Sparks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nanoparticles (NPs) are particles less than 100 nm (~4 millionths of an inch) in a direction. NPs, due to their small size, are used in a variety of products, such as silver (Ag) NPs as an antimicrobial in clothes. Copper Oxide (CuO) NPs are used in electronics as semiconductors and other fields as antimicrobials and purposefully or accidentally end up in the environment. Copper (Cu) is a necessary nutrient for plants, but at higher amounts is toxic to plants and beneficial soil microbes.

In order to understand how the CuO NPs interacts with plants, wheat seedlings were grown in sand …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Task Analysis Data Sheet Protocol In Training Educators To Use The You/Me Game During Direct Instruction Reading Groups, Mckenzie Niebergall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Teachers often struggle with classroom management during academic lessons. Self-adapted efforts to improve classroom management are often not founded on researched behavioral principles. These struggles and efforts impact student behavioral and academic outcomes. The You/Me game is a game included in many Direct Instruction curricula, specially sequenced curricula that encourage positive classroom management and the gaining of academic skills, as a means to reward students for correct academic performance. This study examined the effectiveness of providing a sheet of specific written instructions and allowing for clarifying questions in training four general educators to implement the You/Me Game for classroom management …

Analysis Of Optically Transparent Antennas Designed From Different Transparent Conductors, Rakib Hasan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This master’s thesis work presents an investigative study about the performance of transparent antennas. The antennas have been fabricated using two advanced transparent conductive films (TCF) namely Nano-C Hybrid and Silver-Nanowire (AgNW). Nano-C Hybrid is a new transparent conductive film which combines thin conductors like Carbon Nanotube and Silver Nanowire. The antennas made from Nano-C Hybrid and AgNW are of monopole types and are mounted on a ground plane made out of a printed circuit board and the antennas are excited using an SMA connector through that printed circuit board. Simulation works have been performed to find out the optimum …

Highly Variable Rainfall-Runoff Patterns Across Burned Mountainous Watersheds In The Colorado River Headwaters, Haley Anne Canham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wildfires can contribute to enhanced flooding, erosion, debris flows, sediment transport, and water quality changes that impact downstream infrastructure, water users, and aquatic habitat. With increasing wildfire risk in the western U.S. due to a changing climate, understanding post-wildfire rainfall-runoff patterns and controls is critical for continued water resources security. To improve understanding of post-wildfire rainfall-runoff patterns and controls, we developed a transparent, repeatable analysis framework to collect precipitation and streamflow data, identify paired rainfall-runoff events, and analyze these events to evaluate post-wildfire rainfall-runoff patterns and controls. To automate the rainfall-runoff event identification, the Rainfall-Runoff Event Detection and Identification (RREDI) …

Changes In Healthy Eating And Physical Activity Behaviors Of Adult Participants In Create Better Health's Education (Snap-Ed) Program, Kami Bullock

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of delivery method on the nutrition, food resource management (FRM), and physical activity behavior of participants enrolled in either Create Better Health’s in-person or online courses. The pre-survey and post-survey included data on nutrition, FRM, and physical activity behaviors. The researcher analyzed preexisting data from 138 SNAP-eligible adults who participated in Create Better Health’s online and in-person courses.

Results showed similar improvements in most of the nutrition and physical activity behaviors among those who took the CBH courses online or in-person. The online course showed statistically higher scores for four …

Pedestrian Behavior At Signalized Intersections Throughout Utah, Sadie Boyer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pedestrians and vehicles interact with each other all over the world. Pedestrian-vehicle interactions are most likely to occur at intersections. One way to streamline these interactions and reduce the number of potential conflicts is by using traffic signals. Signalized intersections were developed to increase the overall safety and efficiency of movements involving motorists and, later, pedestrians (Clark, 2022). The number of signalized intersections is increasing across the country as vehicle volumes increase. This means that pedestrian-vehicle conflicts are also increasing. Pedestrian-vehicle conflicts can have serious, even fatal, consequences if not appropriately managed.

This study was a sponsored project by the …

An Introduction To Combinatorics Via Cayley's Theorem, Jaylee Willis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In this paper, we explore some of the methods that are often used to solve combinatorial problems by proving Cayley’s theorem on trees in multiple ways. The intended audience of this paper is undergraduate and graduate mathematics students with little to no experience in combinatorics. This paper could also be used as a supplementary text for an undergraduate combinatorics course.

Masculinity, Affirmations, Belongingness, And Resiliency In Male Adolescents: Effects On School Engagement, Kelsey Burt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study focused on male adolescent students within 7^th and 8^th grade and how endorsement of masculine stereotypes impacts their school engagement and feelings of belonging. The study also examines how peers maintain masculine conformity and how individual resiliency change outcomes. This research is based on two main theories, inclusive masculinity and social learning theory. These theories describe how behaviors are largely learned from the social environment and maintained due to reinforcement or punishment. There were 127 adolescent males who participated in this study and were recruited through an online survey system. Results of the study show that …

Spatial-Temporal Responses Of Cow Elk To Targeted And Non-Targeted Hunting Risk, Randall Mcbride

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Predation is one of the most important interspecies interactions that affect a wildlife population. Predator-prey interactions may cause species to shift their behavior, such as changing the use of their habitat in both space and time, based on their ability to assess risk. Wildlife population responses to predation stresses have been studied in the past, but individuals' responses to these stresses have not been studied in fine detail. For this study, cow elk were collared with GPS collars, and hunters carried hand-held GPS units. GPS locations were taken at 10-minute intervals for both cow elk and hunters during the hunting …

Investigating Cause-Specific Mortality Of Sheep To Determine The Impacts Of Carnivores On Domestic Livestock, Nathan Jacob Floyd

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Livestock and carnivores interact in ways that are considered conflict throughout the world. In the western United States, livestock are often grazed on public lands in close proximity to predators in their natural habitat, and can be killed as prey. Livestock losses to predators can threaten rancher’s livelihoods. Sheep and lambs are especially vulnerable to predators due to their small size and lack of defensive abilities. To reduce the impacts that predators have on livestock, it is important for ranchers and wildlife biologists to have an accurate understanding of how many livestock die and are killed by predators when grazing …

Syntax Exercises And Their Effect On Computational Thinking, Marina Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Abstract—Job opportunities and the need for programmers are increasing. Companies are looking for new hires who have the ability to learn how to learn, who have computational thinking skills. Student dropout rate in computer science is the highest among college majors. Educators are striving to find a way to teach efficiently and effectively the technical and the problem solving skills students need. In this paper we will be studying the effects of syntax exercises on a subject’s ability to think computationally and precisely. We tested our process on professionals and students. Half of the professionals were in the computer science …

Institutional Betrayal Related To Sexual Trauma In Military Service Members And Veterans: An Examination Of Posttraumatic Sequelae, Felicia Andresen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Military sexual harassment and/or assault (MSH/A) is pervasive and destructive. MSH/A survivors who believe the institution played a role in the traumatic experience by failing to respond in a supportive manner or for failing to keep them safe may feel betrayed by the military itself, a concept referred to as institutional betrayal. Previous research suggests it is more harmful to be abused by trusted others or institutions due to the violation of trust. This two-study dissertation explored experiences of MSH/A-related institutional betrayal to identify survivors at-risk for worse posttraumatic outcomes.

Study #1 evaluated whether PTSD explained the relationship between …

The Effect Of Species Choice, Seed Mix Composition, And Microtopography On Native Plant Restoration In Great Salt Lake Wetlands, Coryna Hebert

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wetlands are important ecosystems that improve water quality, prevent floods, and provide wildlife habitat. As such, restoring native plants that promote wetland health is a high priority for land managers. However, there are many challenges to the restoration of native plants. In our study system (Great Salt Lake wetlands), many areas are invaded by the European grass, Phragmites australis. Phragmites grows in dense stands and displaces native plants. The reduction of native plant communities in Great Salt Lake wetlands is a major concern because these ecosystems provide habitat for millions of native birds. Managers have made successful efforts to …

Multidisciplinary Reference Solutions For Performance-Optimized Aircraft Wings With Tailored Aerodynamic Load Distributions, Jeffrey D. Taylor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Morphing wings, or wings that can change shape during flight, have the potential to substantially reduce the amount of fuel consumed by an aircraft over the course of its flight. However, the extent to which these wings can reduce fuel consumption depends on the design of the wing, including its aerodynamic efficiency and its structural layout, and how the aircraft flies, including its flight altitude and speed. Correctly predicting how these design and operational characteristics interact is critical to predicting how wing morphing may affect aircraft fuel consumption. Many computer prediction tools exist that include the effects of these interactions, …

Management Of Garlic Mustard (Alliaria Petiolata), Sahara Mustard (Brassica Tournefortii), And Elongated Mustard (Brassica Elongata) In Utah, Natalie Layne Fronk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The invasive mustard species Sahara mustard (Brassica tournefortii), garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) and elongated mustard (Brassica elongata) negatively impact a variety of ecological systems across the state of Utah. The distribution of these species in Utah is relatively limited at the current time. If prompt action is taken, it may be possible to contain and manage these species before irreparable ecological and agricultural damage occurs. For this reason, all three mustards are listed by the State of Utah as weeds of high priority for management.

This project tested multiple strategies to determine effective species-specific …

The Association Of Military Sexual Harassment/Assault With Suicidal Ideation, Plans, Attempts, And Mortality Among Service Members And Veterans: A Meta-Analysis And Research Study, Whitney S. Livingston

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Rates of death by suicide and sexual harassment/assault that occurs during military service (MSH/A) are higher among service members/veterans than rates of suicide and sexual violence among civilians. Suicide risk includes thoughts and attempts, and research examining the strength of the relationship between suicide risk and sexual violence across past studies that examined this association are limited to civilians. Moreover, current theories hypothesizing which factors are related to suicide risk do not adequately predict suicide among service members and veterans, and do not account for factors such as MSH/A. This two-study dissertation first calculated the magnitude of the relationship between …

Novel Patterning Techniques To Improve Digital Image Correlation In Challenging Environments, Weston Craig

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A camera-based measurement technique called digital image correlation (DIC) is beneficial to measure displacement and strain in challenging environments (such as post-irradiation evaluation and high temperature environments) due to its non-contacting nature and ability to obtain measurements over multiple length scales. This technique requires a surface pattern which influences the measurement resolution and accuracy of the measurements. This thesis explores two novel patterning techniques to allow the use of DIC in more challenging environments:

The first is to determine if a pattern created from printed text can be used as a pattern in DIC. Native patterns are patterns already present …