Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of Raman Spectroscopic Methods To Analyze Chemical, Biological, And Physical Constituents For Food Safety And Quality, Hannah C. Broadbent

Theses and Dissertations

Ensuring food safety and quality is crucial for consumer health, satisfaction, and regulatory compliance. This study aims to develop rapid, reliable methods for detecting food constituents (i.e. lactose), pathogens (i.e. Listeria monocytogenes), and contaminants (i.e. micro- and nano-plastics) using Raman spectroscopy. With advantages like high specificity, minimal sample preparation, and fast analysis, Raman spectroscopy offers a promising alternative to traditional methods. This research explores its application in assessing chemical, biological, and physical properties of food to enhance safety and quality monitoring. Lactose-free products are increasingly popular due to the global prevalence of lactose intolerance, creating a need for effective verification …

Modeling Differential Expression In Scrna-Seq Data With A Difference Of Two Negative Binomial Distributions, Alicia Petrany

Theses and Dissertations

Single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is a powerful high throughput sequencing technology that quantifies the transcriptome at a single cell resolution. Differential expression (DE) analysis is a key scRNA-seq analysis task that identifies genes with statistically significant expression changes in response to biological stimuli. Existing DE methods inherently attempt to determine whether two sets of negative binomially distributed read counts are significantly different but lack exact testing strategies to do so. This work introduces a novel theoretical distribution, the Difference of Two Negative Binomial Distributions (DOTNB), and implements it within DEGage, an R package for DE analysis. Benchmarking DEGage against …

Partial Replication Of The Severe Outcome Questionnaire (S-Oq): Determining Benchmarks Using Ecologically Valid Data, Joshua J. Allen

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The Severe Outcome Questionnaire (S-OQ) is a self-report tool whose most recent manual was published in 2008. It measures the treatment progress of the seriously mentally ill (SMI). Objective: 1). Partially replicate the outpatient and inpatient admission, change, and internal consistency data. 2). Provide a manual extension including admission and change data for new settings of care and include treatment modality benchmarks. Method: OQ Measures provided an archival data set drawn from six different community mental health organizations from around the United States covering 101 different clinics (N = 25,511; Male = 11,524, Female = 13,987). We constructed normative …

The Impact Of Sensory Sensitivity On Nutritional Outcomes In Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Rachel M. Qualley

Theses and Dissertations

Background/Objective: Children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are at increased risk of malnutrition due to restrictive dietary patterns and behavioral difficulties at mealtimes. Research suggests that heightened sensory sensitivity, a characteristic accompanying several of these disorders, may be a contributing factor. However, the effects of sensory sensitivity on nutritional outcomes across distinct NDDs have not been fully explored. This review aims to examine the relationship between sensory sensitivity and nutritional status, food preferences, and eating behaviors in children with NDDs, specifically investigating how atypical sensory processing might influence dietary intake.

Methods: A literature search was conducted using Google Scholar, PubMed, …

Hydrologic Decision Support In The Nile Basin: Creating Status And Outlook Products From The Geoglows Hydrologic Model, Rachel Huber

Theses and Dissertations

Decision makers and stakeholders need information about current and future streamflow to make informed decisions and we show how the GEOGLOWS Hydrologic Model, known as River Forecast System (RFS), can be used to provide hydrologic status and outlook products to inform these decisions. We examine a specific use case of RFS in the Nile River Basin and how RFS is used to provide users with hydrologic status products. We work with stakeholders at the Nile Basin Initiative to assess their needs for this information. We use basic low flow calculations to compute the Standardized Streamflow Index (SSI) and the 95th …

Human Passion In The City And The Jungle: Translating Horacio Quiroga’S “Dieta De Amor,” “El Simún,” And “Polea Loca”, Washington C. Pearce

Theses and Dissertations

Horacio Quiroga, Uruguayan-Argentine writer who is often considered analogous to Edgar Allan Poe, is notable for his contributions to the development of South American Modernismo and his status as a precursor to the Latin American "Boom" period. My project presents a translation of three previously untranslated short stories: "Dieta de Amor," "El Simún," and "Polea Loca." As a preface to these translations I articulate my translation theory and give examples of that theory in practice. I draw upon Jorge Luis Borges, Lawrence Venuti, and Friedrich Schleiermacher as translation scholars who have influenced my work.

Systematic Analysis On The Applications Of Infrastructure Asset Management In Utah, Kelvin Kozakevitch

Theses and Dissertations

Public infrastructure is essential to a region’s economic stability and quality of life, especially its rural infrastructure where most consumable and essential goods derive from. Given the high capital investment required for infrastructure development and maintenance, asset management plans (IAM) are critical. Even though academic research exists on the problems rural infrastructure management face, little is known about the actual state, barriers and causes for the challenges IAM faces in rural Utah. This study examines the current challenges and barriers in IAM among rural communities in Utah. Employing a grounded theory approach, data was collected through a two-phase methodology: phase …

Wordsworth's Literary Signposts: Writings On Epitaphs And Tourism, 1807-1835, Matthew W. Rudy

Theses and Dissertations

This paper explores the intersection of epitaphic language and tourism in the works of William Wordsworth from 1807-1835. Compared to his earlier, more literal epitaphs, works such as "Yarrow Unvisited" (1807) and "Elegiac Stanzas" (1807) demonstrate a shift towards broader epitaphic language that foregrounds the ability of epitaphic texts to invite the reader to pause and make their own connection with the inscribed site. With the publication of "Essay upon Epitaphs" (1810) he further established his theory on the ideal epitaph as text capable of anticipating and connecting anonymous readers to the site and subject, whether inscribed on a headstone …

Enabling Next-Generation Microfluidics Through Advances In High-Resolution 3d Printing, Matthew S. Viglione

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation advances the field of microfluidic device fabrication through the development and application of high-resolution 3D printing technologies. The convergence of stereolithography (SLA) with digital light processing (DLP) has created unprecedented opportunities for microfluidic device fabrication, enabling truly three-dimensional structures with feature sizes approaching the single-micron scale. Building upon foundational work in custom 3D printer development, this research addresses critical limitations in 3D printing that have historically constrained microfluidic innovation, spanning multiple generations of custom 3D printers and technical innovations that have enabled the fabrication of increasingly complex microfluidic devices while enhancing resolution, repeatability, speed, and accessibility. A comprehensive …

Optimizing Aircraft Taxi Processes: A Novel Cost-Minimizing Queue Discipline For The Pushback To Runway Process, Kevin James

Theses and Dissertations

Optimization of the aircraft taxi process can significantly decrease operating costs for air carriers, especially at major airports where congestion on the ramp is a primary contributor to taxi times. To improve the efficiency of this process, we propose a novel queue discipline which mitigates pushback delays through a dynamic reordering of clearance deliveries. As an alternative to FIFO, the proposed discipline accounts for aircraft delays at the gate before the aircraft enters the queueing system. Our proposed system implements pushback control to allow for controller-imposed variability in runway queueing. To validate our proposed queue discipline, we provide a computational …

Heavy Ion Testing Of Versal Acap Ai Engines, Caleb S. Price

Theses and Dissertations

With recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI), there has been an ever increasing need for computation power in space. These AI models are traditionally implemented on GPUs. However, these units come at a high cost in terms of weight and power usage. Due to these limitations, many organizations are turning to the Versal ACAP device, a system on chip (SOC) with hundreds of AI engines. This option delivers more computation per watt than a traditional GPU. The desire to use Versal ACAP in space has created a need to perform radiation testing on the device. Extensive testing has been performed …

Understanding Dialogic Interactions In Online Religious Education, Isaac Munoz Moreno

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I explored how Latter-day Saint higher education professors experienced and facilitated dialogic interactions in online religion courses. Seven instructors who taught synchronous and asynchronous virtual courses at Brigham Young University participated in semi-structured interviews focused on their pedagogical approaches, relational practices, and perceptions of student engagement. Guided by hermeneutic phenomenology and drawing on principles of dialogic pedagogy, I explored how religion instructors cultivated dialogue in virtual classrooms grounded in doctrinal instruction. The findings revealed how professors created a relational presence, navigated institutional constraints, and fostered deep learning and spiritual growth environments. While some participants viewed online dialogue …

Dietary Patterns And Their Effects On C-Reactive Protein Regarding Female Reproductive Disorders, Mckenzie Moe

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: Chronic inflammation, as indicated by elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), plays a critical role in women’s reproductive health disorders. CRP is one of the most common biomarkers of inflammation. Dietary components, lifestyle factors, and women’s reproductive health disorders are major components that influence the levels of CRP within the body. Other influential factors include injury, infection, and illness. The purpose of this review is to explore the findings of literature available on nutrition interventions for CRP levels in consideration of women's reproductive disorders.

Methods: This narrative review examines the works of 15 articles, including 10 cross-sectional and five longitudinal designs. …

The Role Of Almonds In Exercise Recovery And Athletic Performance, Kathryn M. Trochman

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: During exercise, many trained athletes and physically active adults experience symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). The effects of EIMD can cause limitations in athletic performance and increased duration of exercise recovery. Nutritional interventions have shown results in improving the duration of recovery. However, there are few studies completed on common food items. This review aims to examine the role of almonds in exercise recovery and athletic performance. Methods: A literature search was conducted utilizing Google Scholar, PubMed, CINAHL Ultimate, and reference hand searching. The search parameters included the dietary intervention of almonds for trained athletes and physically active …

Testing And Modeling Of Nonlinearities In Riveted And Bolted Structures, Joshua E. Blackham

Theses and Dissertations

Joints are difficult to model because of various small-scale and nonlinear features, such as local geometry, preload, friction and contact. These features cause a local change in stiffness and energy dissipation which result in changes in the effective natural frequency and damping of the whole structure. Past studies have found good success using nonlinear Iwan elements as whole joint models for bolted joints in a few different structures. In Chapter 3, a similar approach is proposed for modeling riveted joints, which seeks to capture the vibrational response of a test structure including changes in the effective modal frequency and damping …

"Our Darker Purpose": Jean-François Ducis's Le Roi Léar In Eighteenth-Century France, Zerin Biehn

Theses and Dissertations

Jean-François Ducis's French adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear has received little critical attention since its publication in 1784. The play retains many of the main plot points that are familiar from Shakespeare along with Ducis's changes that helped make Shakespeare and King Lear more acceptable for the French stage. John Golder has interpreted Le Roi Léar as a pro-royalist play, but I argue that the play's portrayal of kingship and treason is much more nuanced. Ducis's Cordelia is framed for rebellion by her oldest sister, a situation which lacks the rich ambiguity of Shakespeare's Cordelia refusing to placate her father …

From Casa To Career: Language Domains Of Adolescent Heritage Spanish Speakers In The United States, Rachel Emily Koncurat

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence is a critical time for identity development. At this stage, it is important that heritage speakers hear positive messages about their heritage language and have programs that meet their linguistic needs and aspirations. This thesis examines the sociolinguistic domains in which adolescent heritage Spanish speakers use English and Spanish. It addresses two key questions: 1) In what domains do adolescent heritage Spanish speakers use English and Spanish? 2) Do these domains align with the future contexts in which they wish to use Spanish? To answer these questions, I distributed an online survey about language domains and future language goals …

A Levinasian Investigation Of Leaders Learning Humility, Spencer Fumio Yamada

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the development of humility in individuals and business organizations. Humility in business leadership has received increased attention in recent years; however, little is known regarding how individuals and organizations become more humble. The first article in this dissertation is a theoretical examination of humility and argues that the philosophy of ethicist and phenomenologist Emmanuel Levinas provides a theoretical lens by which the development of humility could be productively explored. Levinas argued that the human experience is based on the ethical responsibility that individuals have towards one another, providing a set of assumptions for an examination of professional …

Supporting Female Nontraditional Students In Higher Education: Exploring Instructors And Instructor Leads' Experiences, Adriana Alba

Theses and Dissertations

Women nontraditional students--defined as those who are over 25, delay college enrollment after high school, attend part-time, have dependent children, are single parents, work full-time while studying, or are financially independent--face unique challenges balancing academic pursuits with family and professional responsibilities in online education, yet research on effective support practices remains limited. This study examined the experiences of six BYU-Pathway Worldwide instructors and instructor leads (four instructors and two instructor leads) who support predominantly women nontraditional students in online courses. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) of in-depth interviews and follow-up conversations, the research explored how instructors navigate supporting these students. …

Development Of A Qualitative Spot Assay For Zinc Detection In Fortified Cereal Grain Matrices, Ashley L. Lamborn

Theses and Dissertations

The present thesis is a compilation of a literature review, journal manuscript, and two standard operating procedures (SOP) on the qualitative determination of zinc in fortified cereal grain products and matrices. The literature review addresses the premise of the research as well as potential solutions for the development of a rapid qualitative spot assay for zinc determination. Quality assurance assays affirm the presence of micronutrients in food fortification initiatives, but no rapid qualitative spot methods for the assessment of zinc currently exist. Chromogenic reagents that may perform a key role in the rapid determination of zinc are identified. The journal …

Reservoir Characterization And Basin Modeling Of Mesozoic Siliciclastic Strata For Sedimentary Geothermal Exploration, Iron County, Utah, Theodore L. Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

The transition zone between the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range provinces of southwestern Utah provides excellent opportunities for future geothermal resource development. A combination of large fault-controlled extensional basins with outcrop analogs along basin margins, an elevated heat flow and thermal regime and the presence of porous and permeable sedimentary formations within extensional sedimentary basins allow for sedimentary geothermal exploration and development. Utilizing a reservoir-centered approach has the potential to dramatically expand the economic limits of geothermal plays in both established and frontier basins. This study characterizes a sedimentary geothermal system in Iron County Utah, centered on the Escalante …

Aesthetics In Instructional Design, Dennis M. West

Theses and Dissertations

This multi-article dissertation examines how aesthetics enhances instructional design to foster engaging, transformative learning experiences. Despite its potential, aesthetics is often granted a secondary status in design practice, being seen as less important than functionality. The first article explores philosopher Monroe Beardsley's five aesthetic criteria--object-directedness, felt freedom, detached affect, active discovery, and wholeness--through a theoretical literature review, proposing their application to elevate learner engagement and interest. The second article, a qualitative investigation, analyzed the Cybermatics Playable Case Study (PCS; a cybersecurity simulation) from the perspective of Beardsley's aesthetic criteria. This investigation involved four students and two designers interviewed hermeneutically over …

The Force Will Be With You"¦ Won't It? How In-Groups Grow And Develop Around Fandom Through The Lens Of Star Wars, Joseph R. Wirthlin Jr

Theses and Dissertations

The creation of Star Wars by George Lucas sparked the creation of a vast universe of films, books, television shows, toys, games, and more. Star Wars fans quickly took the reins, fleshing out the universe Lucas had created in new and exciting ways. Decades after the conclusion of the Original Trilogy, the Prequel Trilogy arrived on the scene, sparking excitement and trepidation among fans of the Original Trilogy. A decade after the Prequel Trilogy concluded and three years following the acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disney Corporation, the Sequel Trilogy arrived at an even more significant wave of mixed …

"Because He Was A Cripple": Collective Care And The Theory Of Complex Embodiment In Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Briley Wyckoff

Theses and Dissertations

Published in 1843, Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol planted itself squarely into a society that depended upon physical labor and valued able-bodiedness. The crutch-bearing Tiny Tim is iconized for his angelic nature and positive outlook on his impairment, prompting critical conversation about narrative prosthesis and poster children, yet the other illustrations of disability in the novella are rarely explored. Contrary to the tendency of disability scholars to conclude that A Christmas Carol leans too heavily into the trope of inspirational disability or diminishes disabled agency, Dickens's incorporation of disability actually extends far beyond Tim as each member of the Cratchit …

Building And Understanding Cryptographic Authentication Systems, James S. Conners

Theses and Dissertations

The security and usability challenges of password-based authentication have driven ongoing research into alternative cryptographic authentication systems. This dissertation explores the design, implementation, and evaluation of authentication mechanisms that enhance security while maintaining usability. Specifically, we investigate the limitations of existing passwordless authentication systems, such as FIDO2, and propose novel solutions that improve account recovery, user mental models, and adoption rates. We introduce Let's Authenticate, a certificate-based authentication system designed to address usability and security concerns inherent in existing models. Through iterative development and empirical studies, we compare this approach against contemporary methods like passkeys and password managers. Additionally, we …

An Analysis Of The Encryption Algorithms Proposed For The Mqtt Protocol On Resource Constrained Iot Devices, John Joseph Keenan

Theses and Dissertations

As more IoT devices are used to gather data and automate devices throughout the world, more security solutions are needed to keep these devices and the data they transmit secure. Many of these devices use the MQTT protocol, which does not encrypt the transferred data by default. The TLS/SSL protocols are the standard proposed solution for encrypting this traffic, but many resource constrained IoT devices do not have enough resources to run these protocols efficiently. Because of this, many other encryption algorithms have been proposed or designed for resource constrained IoT devices running the MQTT protocol, but very limited research …

Investigating The Effects Of Sex And Estrous Cycle On The Incubation Of Cue-Induced Oxycodone Craving, Bhumiben Pradipkumar Patel

Theses and Dissertations

The overprescription and misuse of opioids like oxycodone has played a significant role in the ongoing opioid crisis. While effective painkillers, drugs like oxycodone are also reinforcing and often misused. While sex and ovarian hormones can impact the analgesic effects of these drugs, the impact of these factors on oxycodone reinforcement are not fully understood. This relationship between ovarian hormones and opioid reward is further complicated by the fact that opioid use can disrupt ovarian hormone levels and produce reproductive cycle irregularities. Using a rat model of drug craving and relapse vulnerability, we found that chronic oxycodone exposure produced reproductive …

The Curse Of El Dorado: How The Californnia Gold Rush Shaped The History Of Hawai'i, Ernesto Coronado

Theses and Dissertations

In the discourse of Western historiography, we fail to account for the importance of the Hawai’ian Islands. American imperialism did not stop with the occupation of the Pacific Coast but continued into the Pacific. In the mid-nineteenth century, Hawai’i and its monarch, King Kamehameha III, stood at the center of a dispute between Britain, France, and the United States. King Kamehameha III used the California Gold Rush and Hawai’i’s location to his advantage to garner capital and prevent the imperial powers from annexing his kingdom. However, even he knew he could not stop the mass wave of Hawai’ians leaving the …

Toxiverse: An Online Comprehensive Chemical Profiling, Modeling, And Data Analysis Platform, Yitao Shen

Theses and Dissertations

Massive chemical data is now publicly available through publications and various online databases. However, most online databases only provide data unsuitable for modeling purposes and limited machine learning (ML) modeling for those data. As a public chemical toxicity evaluation tool to resolve these issues, the Toxicology Universe (ToxiVerse) portal hosts curated chemical structures and toxicological/pharmaceutical data of 26,000 compounds which can be used directly for modeling purposes. Furthermore, users can upload chemical datasets to extract all involved bioassays for compounds inside as biological profiles. ToxiVerse also features automatic QSAR modeling of uploaded datasets using multiple chemical descriptors and algorithms provided …

The Process Is The Reform: Examining The Portrait Of A Learner In Nevada, Jeremy Adam Young

Theses and Dissertations

To understand the process and substance of the Portrait of a Learner as an educational reform in Nevada through examining the experiences of individuals leading the initiative and to connect what is learned to educational reform in a larger context. A comprehensive literature review was cross-referenced with in-depth interview and focus group results from the Nevada Department of Education and two school districts. This qualitative study might be best described as a purposive, non-randomized study. Fifteen participants, including teachers, administrators, policymakers, and nonprofit professionals participated in interviews and/or focus groups, which were semi-structured. The data were analyzed and organized by …