Digital Commons Network^™

Defensiveness And Accountability In Couple Relationships: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Analysis, Collin Joshua Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Defensiveness is empirically well documented as a factor in breakup and divorce which have wide ranging consequences for adults and affected children, however, little research exists on what Gottman has called the antidote to defensiveness which is taking an accurate amount of accountability. The purpose of this study was to use qualitative methods to illuminate the microprocesses which take place between partners in interactions regarding accountability and defensiveness. The data was taken from part of a larger project on healthy and unhealthy relationships where semi-structured interviews were conducted from a diverse sample recruited through convenience and theoretical sampling. Constructivist grounded …

Exploring The Role Of Rb1 In Cellular Differentiation Using Patient-Derived Stem Cells, Ambily Vincent

Theses and Dissertations

The Retinoblastoma (RB1) gene, predominantly recognized as a tumour suppressor, plays a crucial role in early growth and development. Mice lacking the retinoblastoma gene do not survive and exhibit defects in the differentiation of various tissues, underscoring its involvement in cellular differentiation. This suggests that the functions of the RB1 gene extend beyond its role as a tumour suppressor, encompassing cell cycle regulation, maintenance of genomic stability, cellular senescence, and cellular differentiation.

While the tumour suppressor function of the RB1 has been extensively studied, its role in cellular differentiation remains incompletely understood. Existing literature, primarily based on animal models, has …

Quantifying The Influence Of Air Resistance And Drafting On The Metabolic, Kinematic And Kinetic Demands Of Running, Jared Robert Deandreis Steele

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This study aimed to quantify the effects of air resistance on metabolic, kinetic, and kinematic parameters during treadmill running and to investigate how drafting influences these parameters. Methods: Thirty-three well-trained distance runners participated in biomechanical assessments, and seventeen of these also participated in metabolic assessments. The protocol involved running at 80-85% of critical speed on a force-instrumented treadmill facing a wind tunnel. Five wind conditions were tested: no fan (NF), headwind (HW), headwind with drafting (HWD), no wind (NW), and no wind with drafting (NWD). Ground reaction forces (GRF) and kinematic data were collected and analyzed using linear mixed-effects …

Chronic Stress And Well-Being: Testing Mindfulness As A Proposed Method To Decrease Stress In Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Madeline M. Gillies

Theses and Dissertations

Parenting is a demanding role that encompasses many responsibilities and challenges. When a child is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, there are additional demands on the parent's time, energy, and financial resources, which likely leads to increased levels of chronic stress for parents. This dissertation examines the differences in chronic stress levels between parents who have children with autism and parents who do not, using hair cortisol concentration (HCC) as a benchmark. This dissertation also explores reducing parental stress by introducing a mindfulness intervention. Participants (n = 68) were recruited and divided into two groups: Parents of children who have …

Engineering Cell-Free Protein Synthesis Biosensors For Point Of Care Use, Tyler Jordan Free

Theses and Dissertations

Diagnostic tests can dramatically improve and save lives. Survival rates and patient outcomes related to cancer and other diseases can be improved when routine testing guides personalized treatment. Highly accurate laboratory tests exist for thousands of biomarkers, including those of interest in this dissertation, but cost and complexity limit access to life-saving lab tests in many cases throughout the world. To fill this need and increase accessibility of diagnostics, in this report we report our engineering advancements towards portable biosensors for colorimetric detection of glutamine, endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC), and pathogenic RNA which are key biomarkers in cancer treatment monitoring, …

Systematic Review Of Digital Activity Schedule Use In Individuals With Autism And Intellectual Disability, Adelaide Wahlquist Hammond

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this systematic review of using digital activity schedules as an intervention in individuals with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities is to determine to what extent the current research shows it to be an effective intervention. For articles to be included in this review, they had to use a digitally presented activity schedule, the activity schedule could not be a task analysis of a single activity or a group visual schedule, and the intervention must have been carried out with individuals with autism or intellectual disabilities. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria totaled 17 studies with a total …

A Comparative Illustration Of Trip- And Activity-Based Modeling Techniques, Steven Hayden Atchley

Theses and Dissertations

Activity-based travel demand models are generally considered superior to their trip-based counterparts, as activity-based models (ABMs) explicitly model individuals in contrast to the aggregate nature of trip-based models. There have been a number of comparisons between trip- and activity-based models, but these comparisons focus almost exclusively on the technical ability of the two model types, while not considering the practical benefits an ABM may or may not have to a transportation agency. This research performs a more holistic comparison between trip- and activity-based models, focused specifically on the practical differences between model types, both in terms of usability and capability …

A Proposal For A Compassionate Behavior Consultation - A Pilot Study, Danina Lynne Thatcher

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers frequently encounter disruptive or other challenging behavior in their classrooms, which often results in poor outcomes for both teachers and students. Behavior consultation is frequently used to assist teachers in managing challenging behavior. However, it is difficult for teachers to implement behavioral interventions with consistent fidelity, even with consultative support. This pilot study utilized a multiple-baseline design to evaluate the effects of a compassionate behavior consultation on teachers' implementation fidelity of evidence-based classroom management practices in three junior high classrooms. It also assessed the teacher's ratings of the social validity of the consultation process and resulting interventions. A compassionate …

Deep Learning For Improved Data-Driven Modeling Of Soft Robots For Model Predictive Control, Daniel Gray Cheney

Theses and Dissertations

The field of soft robotics is a growing research interest due to the unique benefits of soft robots over traditional robots, such as durability, compliance, and low-cost. These benefits allow soft robots to perform a variety of tasks that would be difficult for traditional robots, such as throwing, hammering, or whole-body manipulation. However, there is a significant variety of materials, actuators, and designs used in soft robotics. While helpful for completing more tasks, this variety also makes efficient modeling and control of soft robots difficult. In this thesis, an open-source repository, Modeling for Learned Dynamics (MoLDy), is presented. This repository …

Understanding The Mechanisms Of Bio-Effects Of Carbon-Based Nanomaterials In Planta Using “Omics” Approach, Sajedeh Rezaei Cherati

Theses and Dissertations

Carbon-based nanomaterials (CBNs) are recognized as versatile and promising nanomaterials for various applications across multiple fields, including medicine, genetic engineering, plant biology, and agriculture. Notably, carbon nanotubes have been identified as effective in regulating plant growth, reducing plant diseases, and facilitating the targeted delivery of molecules such as DNA and proteins into plant cells and tissues. Despite these advancements, the comprehensive understanding of CBNs' biological impacts, particularly their role in enhancing plant growth and stress tolerance, remains incomplete. Moreover, the use of CBNs in agriculture raises concerns regarding the safety of consuming contaminated plant products and the implications of CBNs …

Using Neural Networks To Reconstruct Temperature From Fluorescent Data For Use In Bio-Microfluidics, Jacob G. Kullberg

Theses and Dissertations

It has been theorized that Quantum Dots (QD) can solve the temperature sensor issue with microfluidic devices. Quantum Dots are nano-sized semiconducting crystals with a radius of an excited electron-hole pair. When a QD is excited by a short wavelength light, the QD produces fluorescent light. As the temperature of the dot changes, the dot expands and shifts the fluorescent spectrum. Quantum Dots are small enough to be placed inside the microfluidic devices, and a spectrometer can measure the change in fluorescent data. This fluorescent data can be used to create fluorescent images corresponding to the QD temperature. These fluorescent …

Consent Behavior, Beliefs In Action: Longitudinal Associations Between Parenting And Adolescent Consent Beliefs And Behaviors, Corinne Archibald

Theses and Dissertations

More research is needed to consider how individual beliefs and socialization agents (i.e., parents) throughout adolescence inform consent-related sexual behaviors. Thus, the current study used an ecological systems approach to the theory of reasoned action (TRA) to examine how parents' consent beliefs were related to adolescents' internal and external consent behaviors, via their beliefs about the importance of consent. Having used longitudinal, nationally sampled data from the Healthy Sexuality Project, this study ran SEM path analysis models on 386 caregiver(s) and adolescents. Results found mothers' and fathers' consent beliefs were positively associated with adolescents' consent beliefs a year later and …

Proposing A Matrix For Selecting Security Tools For Small Businesses, Nathan Jonathon Rowbotham

Theses and Dissertations

Small businesses are increasingly under threat of cybersecurity attacks. An increasingly long list of tools with different purposes and coverage are available to help. But it can be difficult to choose which tools to use, particularly for a small business that may lack financial resources, expertise, and time. Research literature focuses on providing frameworks to follow to protect a business generally. Some research considers an aspect of creating a Security Operations Center. Other research describes the creation of a Security Operations Center as a Service with all the components the researchers deemed necessary. None of the current research literature seems …

Real-Time Dynamically Feasible B-Spline Trajectory Generation For Unmanned Aircraft, David Lavae Christensen

Theses and Dissertations

Onboard aircraft systems must frequently plan dynamically feasible paths or trajectories to safely and quickly reach their goal position. Optimized B-splines are promising because they can guarantee kinematic feasibility in a computationally efficient manner and can be applied to a variety of vehicle models. However, current B-spline solutions do not adequately constrain trajectories to the physical limitation of the vehicles they are planning for, or are often too conservative. Most are also limited to path smoothing or require pre-optimized timing parameters. This thesis develops a real-time B-spline optimization-based trajectory generator capable of minimizing time while respecting the velocity, acceleration, and …

Exploring The Impact Of Collaborative Communities Among High School Principals, William T. Sherwood

Theses and Dissertations

Principals of large high schools are faced with a job that is constantly increasing in demands and complexity; with few options for highly relevant professional development, good resources to aid in problem solving, and/or effective supports for social/emotional well-being. In this qualitative case study, I examine four different school districts involving 20 principals from large high schools that are involved in different iterations of collaborative communities (CC). Participants were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the benefits and challenges of the CC in which they were engaged. Participants also shared the practices and protocols present in their CC contributing to those …

Perspectives And Experiences Of Emergent Bilingual Parents Concerning Their Engagement With Their Child's Teachers And School, Jordan Foss Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

Emergent bilinguals (EBs) represent the fastest-growing population in U.S. public schools (Tarasawa & Waggoner, 2015). Many EB parents face linguistic or cultural barriers when engaging with teachers and are often excluded from their children's classrooms because of their English learner status. This qualitative study analyzes EB or English learner parents' perspectives of their child's teachers and school. Critical Sociocultural Theory (C-SCT) was used to view EB parent engagement practices (Moje & Lewis, 2007). The research processes were based on Creswell and Creswell's (2018) methodology using a focus group and interview design to understand these participants' educational interactions. Data was collected …

Laying Framework For A Novel In Vitro Eukaryotic System To Measure Rate Of Transcription Elongation, John Lucas Ramirez

Theses and Dissertations

Within each cell, genetic material is stored in the form of DNA. This DNA is compacted around proteins to form higher order structures called chromatin. The basic unit of chromatin is a histone protein octamer bound with DNA called a nucleosome. A nucleosome consists of eight core proteins, four pairs of histone proteins H2A, H2B, H3, and H4, wrapped by DNA. The DNA wraps around the histone protein roughly 1.7 times, helping facilitate the compaction of DNA within the nucleus of the cell. The location of nucleosomes makes genetic material that encodes various elements, such as promoters or enhancers, accessible …

Raising Hope: A Preliminary Investigation Of Hope-Strengthening Parenting, Anna Sellers Calley

Theses and Dissertations

Hope Theory defines hope as a cognitive-motivational process of seeking and obtaining goals through agency thinking and pathway building, with substantive connection to many desirable outcomes. While hope is theorized to begin developing early in life, this assumption has never been empirically investigated. This is due to limitations in established hope measurement. There is an additional gap in the research surrounding the role of parents in the development of hope. In this study, I address each of these gaps by utilizing a novel measure of hope in early childhood and running a multiple linear regression model to investigate potential connections …

Survey Of Parental Perspectives In Dialogic Book Reading Practices In Parents Of Preschool-Aged Children, Hind Otba Taiseer Alsboul

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on how early literacy practices at home affect children's language development by looking at the reading habits and dialogic book reading practices of parents with preschool-aged children. Parents were asked to consider and report on their literacy practices at home. They were asked to focus on their current reading habits with their children and how they observed their children paying attention during book-sharing sessions. This study was a part of a bigger project that developed and carried out dialogic reading workshops for parents. Preschool connections and friends spread a survey with parent-report questions in order to collect …

Cellular Sorting Of The Dictyostelium Discoideum Slug, Erin Flowerday

Theses and Dissertations

Dictyostelium discoideum (Dd) cells are amoeba cells that feed on soil or plant leaf matter bacteria. They divide freely in the presence of food. When starved, cell division is ended, and cells transition from unicellular to multicellular organisms initiated by a chemoattractant, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). This study intricately examines cellular sorting within the Dd slug, focusing on individual cell dynamics. Represented as oriented ellipsoids, these cells maintain constant volume through a viscoelastic structure. Applying force to specific semi-axes reveals predictable deformations, highlighting the relationship between force and deformation rate. Manipulating damping coefficients and spring constants uncovers insights into cell …

Connecting Hiv-1 Viral Protein R Polymorphisms To Changes In Inflammatory Signals And Efficacy Testing Of Essential Oils As Disinfectants Against Sars-Cov-2, J. Brandon Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) is the causative agent for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Different strains of HIV-1 have been linked to a long term non-progressor (LTNP) or rapid progressor (RP) form of disease depending on rate of AIDS progression. Viral protein R (Vpr) is a viral protein that has been linked to varying rates of AIDS progression depending on the sequence. In this work, the effects of two polymorphisms, a LTNP and a RP, on different cells are studied. The LTNP virus was linked to lower release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF and IL-6, and an increase in apoptotic …

Development And Application Of A Particle-Based Reactor Network Model For Entrained Flow Gasifier Design, Eric Christian Monson

Theses and Dissertations

A novel particle-based reactor network model (PRNM) was developed to predict the performance of a dry-feed, pressurized, single-stage, slagging entrained flow gasifier under various operational parameters. This model provides improved detail of particle conversion as a function of gasifier location, particle size, and fuel type not available in standard reactor network models. The model inputs were designed to allow changes in geometry, firing rate, stoichiometric ratio, fuel type, and inlet gas composition. Key performance metrics included the gas and refractory temperature profiles, axial gas compositions, and particle burnout. PRNM used a network of idealized reactors to specify the flow field …

Design And Validation Of Sensing Knee Sleeve Rehabilitation Device Utilizing Large Deflection Strain Gauges, Kurt Christian Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures are increasingly common in the US and globally. However, rehabilitation outcomes may be negatively affected by limited access to physical therapy and patients' tendency to not fully adhere to recommended exercises between therapy sessions. This study aims to develop a remote system to aid rehabilitation, building upon recent sensor development at Brigham Young University, providing physical therapy-like biofeedback during unsupervised at-home exercises. The system developed by this research consists of three primary components: (1) a sensor array for measuring leg/knee biomechanics, (2) a machine learning algorithm to predict knee flexion angle from the sensor data, …

Chinese Mandarin-Speaking Teachers' Voices In Chinese Dual Language Immersion Programs Responding To American Classroom Management Relationship Issues, Wu-Ting Chen

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines Chinese Mandarin-speaking teachers' voices concerning classroom management (CM) in Chinese Dual-Language Immersion (DLI) classrooms in Utah, United States. Most Chinese-Mandarin-speaking teachers in Chinese DLI programs do not have a lot of experience in understanding American Western culture-style CM and therefore encounter new challenges in managing classroom behavior. Moreover, most American students, parents, teachers, and administrators do not understand the Chinese teachers' classroom expectations, nor do they realize that such behavioral expectations are a full part of learning the Chinese-Mandarin language and culture together. Using a sociocultural theoretical perspective and discourse analysis, this study provides descriptive evidence identifying …

Investigating Cloth Sculpting For Simulation Control In Virtual Reality, Matthew S. Bishop

Theses and Dissertations

Artists require control and predictability over physically based simulations to create their required animation. This control can lead to reduced iteration time to get the desired simulation results. Controlling cloth simulations can require manual effort to create goal keyframes for control algorithms to match. Current techniques and research utilize a keyboard and mouse to create these goal keyframes. Other research has looked at using a virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display with controllers to improve the experience of completing similar animation tasks. However, we are not aware of any research that attempts to use VR as a tool to assist artists …

Vco Calibration Techniques And Design Of A 0.12-V Ultra-Low Supply Analog-To-Digital Converter, Shea Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Many analog-to-digital converters (ADC) quantize inputs using a voltage-controlled-oscillator (VCO). These VCO-based ADCs leverage time-domain processing to shape quantization noise and mismatch, which further increases their appeal. Despite these advantages, achieving good performance with a VCO-based ADC remains a significant challenge due to the nonlinear transfer characteristics of the voltage-to-frequency (V-F) conversion. VCO-based ADCs widely utilize coarse-fine readout to save power and hardware compared to counter-only converters. However, the timing mismatch due to the clock skew between the coarse and fine quantizers can lead to significant reconstruction errors. Chapter 2 proposes a digital calibration circuit to detect and correct coarse-fine …

Modeling Knowledge Graphs And Its Applicability In Multi-Source Social Network Data, Abiola Sylvester Akinnubi

Theses and Dissertations

Social network analysis is becoming more relevant with the rise of Large Language Models and other AI frameworks, particularly as online content creation surges. However, analyzing social network data from different platforms to study online opinions and influence campaigns remains challenging. Even more complex is the concept of multi-source social network analysis. Knowledge graphs, an essential part of Web 4.0 and crucial in information modeling and encoding, offer a unique solution. They allow for a more concise encoding of relationships between entities and related discussions. However, there is limited investigation into using multi-source data for examining online information campaigns and …

Clarifying The Welcoming Certification Process; Contrasting Two Central Illinois Communities, Ian Murphy-Pociask

Theses and Dissertations

The election and subsequent immigration policies of the Trump Administration 2016-2020 had implications for how local governments and communities responded to immigration legislation proposing tighter control of immigration enforcement in the interior United States. Executive Order 13768 authorized the hiring and training of an additional 10,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to enforce immigration policy in the interior. Among many other responses of local governments to federal immigration policies, a Georgia-based, Tennessee-founded national non-profit, Welcoming America, offers communities and local governments certification as official welcoming cities based on standardized criteria. Since 2017, Welcoming America has recognized local governments and communities …

Spending The Peace Dividend: Nato And The Failures Of American Diplomacy, Caleb Batman

Theses and Dissertations

Recent years have seen a massive increase in available resources pertaining to US-Russian diplomacy in the years immediately following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Using these newly available resources including diplomatic cables, declassified transcripts, and personal correspondence between President Clinton of the United States and President Yeltsin of the Russian Federation the author attempts to illustrate how the White House missed a chance for reconciliation with Russia during the first Clinton term. Additionally, this paper illustrates how it was not merely bad diplomacy that led to a resumption of Cold War hostilities, but willful policy in Washington that sought …

Caring Until It Hurts: A Survey Of Compassion Fatigue And Moral Injury Among Wild Animal Caregivers And Its Implications For Animal Welfare In Zoos, Aquariums, Rehabilitation Centers, And Sanctuaries, Nadiya L. Delgado

Theses and Dissertations

Caregivers for captive wild animals are fundamental to the overall care, welfare, and conservation of animals in their charge, fulfilling diverse and critical roles. Caring for others, whether humans or animals, exposes caregivers to compassion fatigue – a state of emotional and physical exhaustion resulting from prolonged empathetic engagement with those they assist, and moral injury – psychological distress that arises from actions, or the lack of them, which violate one's moral or ethical code. This distress can manifest as intense feelings of guilt, shame, or a sense of betrayal by oneself or others. These phenomena are pertinent in environments …