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Fabrication And Characterization Of Flexible Microelectrode Arrays On Kapton Polyimide For Implantable Spinal Cord Stimulation Applications, Nabil Jamhour Dec 2023

Fabrication And Characterization Of Flexible Microelectrode Arrays On Kapton Polyimide For Implantable Spinal Cord Stimulation Applications, Nabil Jamhour

Theses and Dissertations

Recent advances in spinal cord stimulation (SCS) technology have made a significant impact in the treatment of chronic pain which is a prevalent issue amongst 20% of the population in developed nations. A few medical device manufactures have developed SCS devices that have been studied in clinical environments and reported to be effective and safe for commercial use. However, the current SCS devices available are bulky, rigid, and still present infection, fibrosis, discomfort, pulse delivery challenges and other concerns for patients. In this study, flexible electrodes processed on Kapton® polyimide films by physical vapor and inkjet deposition are fabricated and …


Tipping The Mesoscales: Advances In Multipeak Bragg Coherent Diffraction Imaging, J. Nicholas Porter Dec 2023

Tipping The Mesoscales: Advances In Multipeak Bragg Coherent Diffraction Imaging, J. Nicholas Porter

Theses and Dissertations

Material failure begins with strain between atoms and cascades upward into macroscopic damage such as cracks. Therefore, our ability to predict (and therefore prevent) material failure is largely limited by our understanding of this process. This understanding, however, has been impeded by the difficulty of directly observing such phenomena. In this thesis, I discuss recent advances in Bragg coherent diffraction imaging (BCDI) which produce three-dimensional, mesoscopic images of interior strain in microcrystals. In particular, I present a novel algorithm, based on the concept of cyclic-constrained optimization (CCO), for the rapid, coupled reconstruction of a microcrystal from multiple Bragg diffraction patterns. …


Portuguese Language Use Among First Generation Brazilian Immigrants In Utah County: Some Considerations About Language And Ethnic Identity, Simone Pizzio Dec 2023

Portuguese Language Use Among First Generation Brazilian Immigrants In Utah County: Some Considerations About Language And Ethnic Identity, Simone Pizzio

Theses and Dissertations

The current study presents an investigation of the Portuguese language use among first generation Brazilian immigrants in Utah County. The research was carried out with 54 first generation immigrants. Several studies have shown that ethnic identity is related to shared cultural characteristics such as practices, beliefs, and languages (Liebkind, 2010; Pennycook, 2010; Reyes, 2010; Souza, 2016). This study explores the relationship between language and ethnic identity by analyzing the attitudes toward the Portuguese language, the contexts and factors that influence language choice, and the purposes for which the Portuguese language has been used by this selected group of immigrants. The …


"How Could Anyone But A Madman Have Thought This Sleeping Girl Dead?": L.T. Meade's Approach To The "Buried Alive" Literary Tradition In Support Of Death Certification Reform, Shelby Johnson Dec 2023

"How Could Anyone But A Madman Have Thought This Sleeping Girl Dead?": L.T. Meade's Approach To The "Buried Alive" Literary Tradition In Support Of Death Certification Reform, Shelby Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

A March 1866 issue of The Lancet observes, "If a newspaper were in want of a startling story with which to enliven a dull copy in the 'off season,' it could not do better than select one with the heading "'Buried Alive'"("Premature Interment" 295). Stories of being buried alive gave readers of all backgrounds a thrill. However, the stories frustrated the medical and scientific communities who were quick to dismiss the threat of live burial as a possibility in a modern world. Drawing on the literary history of "buried alive" stories and medical knowledge surrounding death signs and catalepsy, this …


Understanding Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Among Racial And Ethnic Minority Groups: A Content Analysis, Tyson William Lovell Dec 2023

Understanding Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Among Racial And Ethnic Minority Groups: A Content Analysis, Tyson William Lovell

Theses and Dissertations

Historically, racial and ethnic minority (REM) communities have faced reduced access to resources for mental and emotional health issues. While research has placed a greater emphasis on REM experiences, there is still a need to further understand the unique contextual factors surrounding mental health challenges among these marginalized groups. Research on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) among REM communities is one area in need of further evaluation. Therefore, this study is a content analysis of literature analyzing the current research focused on the intersection of REM communities and OCD experiences. The purpose of the study is to analyze OCD research among …


One The Equal And Opposite Of The Other: More Humanity Than Christianity In "Our Sea Of Islands" And Tales Of The Tikongs, Drois Nadia Vi Dec 2023

One The Equal And Opposite Of The Other: More Humanity Than Christianity In "Our Sea Of Islands" And Tales Of The Tikongs, Drois Nadia Vi

Theses and Dissertations

Tongan scholar and author Epeli Hau'ofa's "Our Sea of Islands" is an influential essay in several fields including archipelagic studies, Pacific Islands studies, and transpacific studies. However, his poems and short stories have been overlooked as a parallel attempt to advocate for and influence Tongan people. The main purpose of his writings is to educate both Pacific Islanders and Westerners on the importance of putting a stop to viewing the Pacific as small, isolated, and poor. The short stories in his collection Tales of the Tikongs are both satirical and very humorous, yet these moments of satire are not just …


The Association Between Adolescent Mindfulness, Sexual Mindfulness, And Sexual Consent: Does Parent-Child Open Or Controlling Sexual Communication Moderate?, Whitney Lenna Mcewan Dec 2023

The Association Between Adolescent Mindfulness, Sexual Mindfulness, And Sexual Consent: Does Parent-Child Open Or Controlling Sexual Communication Moderate?, Whitney Lenna Mcewan

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I investigated how mindfulness and sexual mindfulness (i.e. awareness and non-judgment) related to sexual consent beliefs among adolescents, and how these relationships were influenced by mothers' and fathers' communication about sex. My approach was grounded in Self-Determination Theory, which posits that healthy sexuality is best achieved when self-determined sexual relationships meet the fundamental human needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Previous research has suggested a positive link between mindfulness and sexual mindfulness and sexual consent beliefs among teenagers. On one hand, effective open communication between parents and children, especially regarding sensitive topics such as sexuality, can enhance …


Plant Material Selection And Seed Enhancement Technologies Improve Seed-Based Restoration In Dryland Systems, Travis G. Sowards Dec 2023

Plant Material Selection And Seed Enhancement Technologies Improve Seed-Based Restoration In Dryland Systems, Travis G. Sowards

Theses and Dissertations

The restoration of large-scale heterogeneous landscapes is typically approached using seed-based restoration as a cost-effective means to achieve project goals and objectives. However, seeding is often met with low survival rates primarily driven by low seedling emergence and establishment. This dissertation investigates opportunities to enhance restoration focusing on 1) seed treatments, 2) plant materials, and 3) a synthesis of seeding strategies. • Fungal pathogenesis can cause high seedling mortality. Fungicide seed coatings used in the agriculture industry are novel to wildland restoration. We assess the effect a fungicide seed coating has on the recruitment of Pseudoroegneria spicata seedlings across a …


Digitization And Digital Preservation Of P.Herc. 817, Marissa Anne Bischoff Dec 2023

Digitization And Digital Preservation Of P.Herc. 817, Marissa Anne Bischoff

Theses and Dissertations

The large cache of scrolls from Herculaneum were opened to scholars in spite of and because of the destruction of the volcano and damaging unfurling techniques. The fragments inherited have been studied closely by scholars. Digitization and technological work on the Herculaneum papyri, including the important infrared imaging completed by BYU in the early 2000s, and the 3-D imaging and inchoate virtual unwrapping technology by EduceLab, have amplified and aided scholarship on the scrolls and will continue to do so. P.Herc. 817 is a unique Latin text within the collection that has been heavily studied by scholars due to its …


Is This My Thing, Or Your Thing?: Differentiation Of Self As A Moderator Between Pornography Use And Marital Outcomes, Naomi Mcallister Noorda Dec 2023

Is This My Thing, Or Your Thing?: Differentiation Of Self As A Moderator Between Pornography Use And Marital Outcomes, Naomi Mcallister Noorda

Theses and Dissertations

Pornography use is fairly common in today's society, which suggests that one or even both partners of many couple relationships may use pornography. Persons with high or low levels of differentiation of self may experience relationship attachment and sexual satisfaction differently depending on their partner's pornography use. On one hand, those with high differentiation may view a partner's pornography use as the partner's issue. On the other hand, those with low differentiation may view their partner's pornography use as something they are responsible for or need to change. Using data from 1,665 couples across the United States from Wave 6 …


Revisiting Marshallese Causative Constructions Using Lexical Aspect, Damon Hatch Swain Dec 2023

Revisiting Marshallese Causative Constructions Using Lexical Aspect, Damon Hatch Swain

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reexamines causative constructions found in Marshallese; an Austronesian language spoken in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Both Bender, Capelle & Pagotto (2016) and Willson (2008) hint that lexical aspect is a necessary predictor of causative behaviors in Marshallese, but offer no explanations. The primary focus of this thesis is to examine lexical aspect's influence on causative derivations. This project shows that Marshallese stative verbs display two distinct causative constructions: stative causatives and causative abstract nouns. The Marshallese causative prefix, ka-, tends to exhibit common crosslinguistic patterns of causative constructions as laid out by Dixon and Aikenvald (2000). …


Route Condition Estimation By Video Data Analysis, Sharafat Hossain Dec 2023

Route Condition Estimation By Video Data Analysis, Sharafat Hossain

Theses and Dissertations

Catastrophic natural disasters have an impact on millions of individuals each year, whether directly or indirectly. A successful rescue operation can save a great deal of lives in the post-disaster phase, but researchers are still facing difficulties in carrying this out. Even while they are in peril, today's people frequently post updates about their whereabouts on well-known social media platforms, sometimes even asking for help. A prompt and appropriate response to these catastrophic events depends on developing an efficient and automated approach capable of retrieving real-time data from impacted locations and extracting essential elements. The research focuses on predicting flood …


The Gender Load: Case Assignment Differences In A University Counseling Center, Samantha Kristine Brumble Heder Dec 2023

The Gender Load: Case Assignment Differences In A University Counseling Center, Samantha Kristine Brumble Heder

Theses and Dissertations

Recent research has explored the unique case load of mental health professionals working in university counseling centers (UCCs) and is working to better understand therapist burnout. However, there is a gap in the literature surrounding therapist caseload composition and how this composition can impact the experience of therapists in UCCs. Specifically, more research is needed to understand how therapist caseloads might differ by gender identity of therapist. The current study explored this topic by looking at how therapist caseload varies by gender. Retrospective data gathered at a large western United States UCC from 2014 to 2021 was analyzed using Hierarchical …


Effect Of Timing Of Energy Intake On Blood Glucose And Body Composition In Women With Overweight Or Class One Obesity, Michael Wade Smith Dec 2023

Effect Of Timing Of Energy Intake On Blood Glucose And Body Composition In Women With Overweight Or Class One Obesity, Michael Wade Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Overweight and obesity has increased in the U.S. Unfortunately, this increases the risk of metabolic dysfunction, such as diabetes. Meal timing has recently shown promise as viable options to minimize the risk of overweight or obesity and metabolic dysfunction. The primary purpose of this study, therefore, was to investigate the effect of timing of energy intake on blood glucose in females with overweight or class one obesity (BMI=27-35 kg/m2). This study utilized crossover design with two conditions counterbalanced in random order. Participants completed two 2-week 1500kcal dietary interventions: 1) a big breakfast diet or BB (50% of energy intake between …


Finding Words For God: Poetic Foraging In Louise Glück's The Wild Iris, Rachel Cardall Dec 2023

Finding Words For God: Poetic Foraging In Louise Glück's The Wild Iris, Rachel Cardall

Theses and Dissertations

The primary speaker of Louise Glück's The Wild Iris is a wanderer in her own garden. She relentlessly searches for God among her foxgloves and daisies, straining to hear God's voice. Two other speakers, God and the collective plants of the garden, offer their perspectives without acknowledgement by the human speaker. Many critics read these two other speakers as, in fact, narcissistic projections of the human speaker, a God and a world made in her own image. In this thesis, I clarify that the kind of narcissistic projection that occurs in The Wild Iris is actually productive for genuine spiritual …


Dam Failure And Incident Investigations, Nathaniel Gee Dec 2023

Dam Failure And Incident Investigations, Nathaniel Gee

Theses and Dissertations

There are multiple dam failures and dam safety incidents every year in the United States. There are currently no standard policy requirements for when or how to conduct failure or incident investigations. This paper first reviews one of the most significant failures in US history, the failure of Buffalo Creek Dam No. 3 in order to explore the impacts of one significant failure on dam safety policy in the US. The paper then explores the currents state of the industry by reviewing 58 different dam failure or incident investigation reports based on incidents that occurred in the United States from …


Development Of Battery-Grade Silicon Through Magnesiothermic Reduction Of Halloysite-Derived Silica, Nathan Clarke Dec 2023

Development Of Battery-Grade Silicon Through Magnesiothermic Reduction Of Halloysite-Derived Silica, Nathan Clarke

Theses and Dissertations

The production of halloysite-derived silicon (HDS) is investigated as a potential anode material in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Other researchers have found HDS to be electrochemically active in small test cells. To test larger electrochemical cells, the production process needs to be scaled up and optimized. HDS is produced through magnesiothermic reduction of acid-etched halloysite. The reduction process is very exothermic and requires special consideration while being scaled up. A reactor and pressure release system were designed and fabricated to perform the reduction process in a safe manner. Various steps of the process were tested to determine their influence on the …


Void Formation And Mortality During Liquid Composite Molding, Jared Michael Turner Dec 2023

Void Formation And Mortality During Liquid Composite Molding, Jared Michael Turner

Theses and Dissertations

Within the high-performance composite manufacturing industry, there exists a need to improve the reliability of LCM (Liquid Composite Molding) manufacturing processes in producing composite parts that better approach the quality and consistency of pre-impregnated composite tapes that are cured in autoclaves with cost being a driving factor of this need. One obstacle to that end is the phenomenon of void formation during the LCM infusion processes. The formation of these voids through different mechanisms leads to composite parts with lower mechanical properties and consistency than their pre-impregnated autoclave cure counterparts. The objective of this research is to investigate the different …


Characterizing Quirky Signals, Joshua D. Forsyth Dec 2023

Characterizing Quirky Signals, Joshua D. Forsyth

Theses and Dissertations

Large collider facilities such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) employ a variety of search methods in hopes of finding new particles. It may be that new physics beyond the SM is waiting to be discovered at energies accessible to the LHC. Quirks are particles charged under a new confining gauge group with masses much larger than their confinement scale. This project details the dynamics of quirks, as well as the production and decay of electrically charged bound states of scalar quirks. The cross section for these states is compared to existing Wγ resonance searches at the LHC. Such a …


In Vitro Observation Of Optical Changes In Whole Blood Due To Injection Of Glucose Solution, James Gordon Harkness Dec 2023

In Vitro Observation Of Optical Changes In Whole Blood Due To Injection Of Glucose Solution, James Gordon Harkness

Theses and Dissertations

Significance: While the optical properties of blood have been extensively studied, the influence of glucose concentration on blood optics remains unquantified. This is information which could be used to develop a noninvasive blood glucose monitor. Aim: This in vitro study investigated the optics of blood. Time-dependent effects and various methods of introducing glucose into blood samples were examined. The study aimed to quantify how alterations in glucose levels impacted blood optics across 14 distinct NIR wavelengths. Approach: Blood in a cuvette was exposed to light, and the reflected and transmitted light was captured in integrating spheres. 14 distinct wavelengths from …


The State Of Active Blended Learning In Construction Education: Reviewing Research And Current Perspectives, Shandon Miles Gubler Dec 2023

The State Of Active Blended Learning In Construction Education: Reviewing Research And Current Perspectives, Shandon Miles Gubler

Theses and Dissertations

STEM educators have shown a particular interest in active blended learning. Construction management education, a discipline within STEM education, has naturally considered blended instruction to engage students in the learning process. Documented efforts of construction management educators implementing blended instruction have mostly been recorded in conference proceedings. These recorded efforts often take the form of anecdotal case studies—a current review of how construction management faculty are implementing blended instruction and active learning in their blended courses was not found. In this study, we reviewed the literature for active blended instruction in construction management education. We surveyed construction management faculty about …


Linking Individual Behavior With Physiology To Understand Complex Life Histories, Doreen Cabrera Dec 2023

Linking Individual Behavior With Physiology To Understand Complex Life Histories, Doreen Cabrera

Theses and Dissertations

Life history strategies encompass a suite of co-evolved traits crucial for ensuring an individual's fitness, often evolving from trade-offs between traits competing for the same resources. Adult male crayfish in the Cambaridae family undergo seasonal morphological changes linked to reproductive status, a process called cyclic dimorphism. In this dissertation, we attempt to understand how cyclic dimorphism evolved in non-native northern crayfish (Faxonius virilis). First, in Chapter 1, we review empirical studies that have assessed animal personality across developmental periods. The results show that personality traits tend to be stable within life stages but not across developmental events. In Chapter 2, …


The Experience Of Teaching Disengaged Students In Stem: Examined Through The Lens Of The Abc Engagement Framework, William Randall Hjorth Dec 2023

The Experience Of Teaching Disengaged Students In Stem: Examined Through The Lens Of The Abc Engagement Framework, William Randall Hjorth

Theses and Dissertations

Young people today are increasingly disengaged from their education. Studies indicate that of all school subjects, American students struggle to engage in STEM subjects more than others. For decades, we have known that student engagement/disengagement impacts teachers. Researchers have also claimed that engagement/disengagement can be described as a construct made up of affective, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions (ABC). However, we do not understand how teachers experience student disengagement in these three areas. At a crucial time in education, investigation into the experiences of teachers with disengaged students is needed to uncover insights which may help us understand how teachers interpret …


In-Depth Geochemical Analysis Of Turbidite-Associated Shales Of The Pindos Basin, Greece, Jonathon Michael Sevy Dec 2023

In-Depth Geochemical Analysis Of Turbidite-Associated Shales Of The Pindos Basin, Greece, Jonathon Michael Sevy

Theses and Dissertations

Detailed geochemical analysis of the turbidite-associated shales of the Cretaceous Katafito Formation, Greece, reveals important details regarding the paleoenvironment, paleoproductivity, and regional tectonics of the Pindos Basin. The Katafito Formation was deposited along an active margin at the early onset of closure of the Tethys Sea in the Pindos sub-basin. While careful studies of the coarse clastic component of turbidites are common, this study consisted of a detailed geochemical characterization of the fine-grained portions, which helped reveal paleoenvironmental information about the basin. This study combined organic and inorganic geochemistry utilizing elemental, mineralogical, and organic chemical signatures from fine-grained turbidite-associated sediments …


Age At First Marriage And Marital Success In The Context Of Stress Theory: An Updated Investigation With A Longitudinal, Nationally Representative Sample, Anne Marie Wright Jones Dec 2023

Age At First Marriage And Marital Success In The Context Of Stress Theory: An Updated Investigation With A Longitudinal, Nationally Representative Sample, Anne Marie Wright Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to use family stress theory to examine the relationship between age at first marriage and marital quality and divorce. Age at marriage continues to increase and the demographics keep changing. Past research suggests that early age at marriage has been a contributing factor to divorce risk. Marital quality outcomes can also give us an idea of how well couples are faring in their marriages. This study employs a sample from a longitudinal, nationally representative investigation (CREATE), which has followed newlywed couples since 2016. The sub-sample for this study comes from wave one and includes …


Pullout Strength Of Welded Wire And Ribbed Strip Reinforcement In Lightweight Cellular Concrete Backfill Behind Mechanically Stabilized Earth Wall, Mathew Robert Bueckers Dec 2023

Pullout Strength Of Welded Wire And Ribbed Strip Reinforcement In Lightweight Cellular Concrete Backfill Behind Mechanically Stabilized Earth Wall, Mathew Robert Bueckers

Theses and Dissertations

Lightweight cellular concrete (LCC) is a cement, water, and air entrained mixture that consists of 25-80% voids. The air voids reduce the material strength but also decrease the material weight. Due to its lightweight properties LCC is an attractive alternative to soil backfill for retained structures, such as mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls. Although LCC is widely used behind MSE walls, limited information exists regarding the pullout strength of MSE wall reinforcements in LCC backfill. This research attempts to fill the knowledge gap through performing pullout tests on welded wire and ribbed strip reinforcements in MSE walls to determine the …


Advanced Separations And Mass Spectrometry Data Acquisition Strategies To Improve Sensitivity And Throughput In Single-Cell Proteomics, Thy Truong Dec 2023

Advanced Separations And Mass Spectrometry Data Acquisition Strategies To Improve Sensitivity And Throughput In Single-Cell Proteomics, Thy Truong

Theses and Dissertations

Single Cell Proteomics (SCP) is an emerging discipline that contributes to a deeper understanding of individual cells' essential components. In biological systems, individual cells exhibit remarkable diversity, showcasing distinct proteomic profiles and functions. Mass Spectrometry (MS)-based techniques have become essential tools for exploring the proteomes of single cells with remarkable precision. While traditional bulk proteomics methods have been invaluable in revealing the overall protein composition of biological samples, they fall short in capturing the subtle nuances and heterogeneity among individual cells in a population. This limitation emphasizes the need for more targeted and detailed analyses to uncover the protein makeup …


Techniques In Multi-Omics Data Integration To Develop A Novel Proteogenomics Framework For Identification Of Proteoforms, Kanishka Manna Dec 2023

Techniques In Multi-Omics Data Integration To Develop A Novel Proteogenomics Framework For Identification Of Proteoforms, Kanishka Manna

Theses and Dissertations

Multi-omics experimental approaches are becoming a mainstream practice in systems biology underlining the need to design new integrative techniques and applications to enable the multi-scale characterization of different types of diseases for targeted therapy. Proteogenomics, a sub-field within the broad field of multi-omics incorporates techniques to integrate genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics data for efficient identification of novel proteoforms or protein isoforms. There are multitude of challenges when applying proteogenomics analyses, such as improper integration of each omics data type, missing structural annotations, inefficient identification of splice-junctions, novel genes, etc. This dissertation will outline a novel and integrative proteogenomics pipeline that …


Isolation And Characterization Of Nut Shell Proteins From Arachis Hypogea Linn. And Cocos Nucifera Linn. And Its Effect On Macrophage Activation To Treat Visceral Leishmaniasis, Suhatha S Dec 2023

Isolation And Characterization Of Nut Shell Proteins From Arachis Hypogea Linn. And Cocos Nucifera Linn. And Its Effect On Macrophage Activation To Treat Visceral Leishmaniasis, Suhatha S

Theses and Dissertations

Glycoproteins are among several immunomodulatory agents known to activate the innate immune system. Plant derived glycoproteins are a generous source of glycoproteins that could be utilized as cost effective preparations for therapeutics. Isolating glycoproteins from agricultural by- products with the intention to use them against Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) was the focus in this doctoral study. The two nut shells, Arachis hypogea L. (Groundnut) and Cocos nucifera L. (Coconut), were used for the isolation of glycoprotein used in the study. Crude glycoproteins from the A. hypogea L. (AHP-C) were isolated and fractioned. AHP-F2 was identified as 28.37 kDa Mannose/Glucose binding lectin …


Drawing About Writing: Exploring Egyptian Middle School Students’ Writing Motivation And Perceptions, Maryam Elbayady Dec 2023

Drawing About Writing: Exploring Egyptian Middle School Students’ Writing Motivation And Perceptions, Maryam Elbayady

Theses and Dissertations

The principal aim of this study is to explore Egyptian middle school students’ perceptions of their writing experiences using artistic expression, specifically drawings. It also aims to understand their levels of writing motivation using the Self-Beliefs, Writing-Beliefs, and Attitude Survey (SWAS) (Wright et al., 2019). Finally, it examines the relationships among participants’ perceptions, motivation, and their narrative writing performance. The view that students’ voices are valuable to research geared towards school improvement has largely propelled this study (Bland, 2018; Zumbrunn et al., 2017). In addition, due to the limited literature about middle school students enrolled at private Egyptian schools, this …