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“Já Muito Estropeadas”: Bodies And Landscapes Of Oppression In Rodolfo Teófilo’S A Fome, Mikaela Wood Aug 2023

“Já Muito Estropeadas”: Bodies And Landscapes Of Oppression In Rodolfo Teófilo’S A Fome, Mikaela Wood

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis article analyzes Rodolfo Teófilo's novel "A fome" through the lens of ecofeminism, exploring the representations of gender and nature in Brazilian literature. The novel, set during a devastating drought in the Northeast, follows Manuel de Freitas and his family as they seek relief in Ceará. While existing criticism has focused on the novel's use of nature and masculinity, the portrayal of female characters and the connection between gender and nature representations have been overlooked. Ecofeminist theory offers a critical perspective to understand these dynamics, revealing the devaluation of women and nature in favor of men and human beings …


Interaction Of Natural Convection And Real Gas Radiation Over A Vertical Flat Plate, Nathan Hale Aug 2023

Interaction Of Natural Convection And Real Gas Radiation Over A Vertical Flat Plate, Nathan Hale

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores natural convection heat transfer and fluid flow from a vertical plate in a radiating gas accounting for real gas spectral behavior. Finite volume techniques are used to solve the coupled nonlinear partial differential equations for mass, momentum, and energy conservation, while radiation transfer is modeled using the Discrete Ordinates finite volume finite angle method. Real gas spectral behavior is accounted for using the Rank Correlated Spectral Line Weighted-sum-of-gray-gases method. It is found that gas temperature and velocity are higher in the boundary layer, thickening the thermal and hydrodynamic boundary layers compared to the limiting case of pure …


Informal Learning In An Online Book Club: A Qualitative Case Study, Toni E. Pilcher Aug 2023

Informal Learning In An Online Book Club: A Qualitative Case Study, Toni E. Pilcher

Theses and Dissertations

This article examines the online book club called Victober, which is held every October on Youtube and other social media apps. As a qualitive case study, the research uses interviews, observations, and digital documents to explore the interactions and informal learning experiences of four women who participated in Victober 2022. The author identifies five overarching themes that emerged from the data: content creation, community identity, individual identity, rewards, and anticipation. These themes highlight the significance of content creation for YouTube and social media platforms, the sense of community fostered by Victober, the balance between individuality and belonging, the rewards of …


Interference Between Speaking And Computer Tasks In Younger And Older Adults, Paige Elise Asay Aug 2023

Interference Between Speaking And Computer Tasks In Younger And Older Adults, Paige Elise Asay

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of computer tasks on speech acoustic measures and the effects of speaking on computer task performance in 30 younger and 30 older adults. Participants completed a speech only task, two computer tasks, and simultaneous speaking and computer tasks. Stimulus sentences included the four corner vowels and two diphthongs embedded between voiceless consonants. Acoustic measures of speech included diphthong transition extent and rate as well as vowel space area (VSA) and vowel articulation index (VAI). A text formatting task included two levels of difficulty. A data entry task included sorting items from a shopping list into …


Groundwater Resource Assessment For West Africa Using Earth Observations And Groundwater Modeling, Sergio Armando Barbosa Casas Aug 2023

Groundwater Resource Assessment For West Africa Using Earth Observations And Groundwater Modeling, Sergio Armando Barbosa Casas

Theses and Dissertations

Groundwater is a crucial global resource, particularly in semiarid regions where surface water is scarce. As a result, effective groundwater management is essential. However, the challenge lies in a lack of data and information for proper decision-making. This dissertation present studies related to groundwater storage changes and recharge in West Africa, using data from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission. In Niger, this research reveals little change in groundwater storage from 2002 to 2010 but a steep rise from 2010 to 2021, attributed partially to increased precipitation. Groundwater resources in Niger are found to be underutilized, with estimated …


Taxonomic Revision And Phylogenetic Analysis Of The Philadelphicus Group In The Genus Proctacanthus (Insecta: Diptera: Asilidae), And Key To All Proctacanthus North Of Mexico, Teagan Marie Mulford Aug 2023

Taxonomic Revision And Phylogenetic Analysis Of The Philadelphicus Group In The Genus Proctacanthus (Insecta: Diptera: Asilidae), And Key To All Proctacanthus North Of Mexico, Teagan Marie Mulford

Theses and Dissertations

Proctacanthus (Macquart 1838), an elegant genus of robber flies within the Asilidae family, plays a significant ecological and economic role. However, the lack of a comprehensive taxonomic treatment hinders their identification and thus their use in evolutionary and behavioral research. This study focuses on the taxonomic revision of the Proctacanthus, identifying the features used in recognizing the philadelphicus Species Group and the rufiventris Species Group. By providing systematic and biological data, describing new species, and offering a key for identification, this research contributes to understanding the ecological significance and geographic distribution and history of Proctacanthus. This work will enhance future …


Feasibility Of Rna-Based Pathogen Detection In An Infant Formula Matrix, Gweneth Claire Gustafson Aug 2023

Feasibility Of Rna-Based Pathogen Detection In An Infant Formula Matrix, Gweneth Claire Gustafson

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The dairy processing industry is currently hindered by slow, antiquated testing for high-risk pathogens, including Listeria monocytogenes and Cronobacter sakazakii. Powder infant formula's low water activity and substantial fat content enhance the survival and thermotolerance of such foodborne pathogens. As DNA-based detection methods can produce false positives even after cell death, a more accurate approach is needed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the suitability of an RNA-based platform for the detection of pathogens in a dairy powder matrix. Materials and Methods: A unique phenol-chloroform extraction method was used to obtain total RNA from heat-killed and unheated …


Separation Of Perrhenate And Perfluoroalkyl Substances By Ion Chromatography With Customized Stationary Phases, Wai Ning Chan Aug 2023

Separation Of Perrhenate And Perfluoroalkyl Substances By Ion Chromatography With Customized Stationary Phases, Wai Ning Chan

Theses and Dissertations

Ion exchange chromatography (IC) is an analytical technique used to separate charged molecules including ions, proteins, small nucleotides, and amino acids. It can function in anion or cation mode. In this dissertation, anion exchange chromatography was used, and column materials were made in our lab with resorcinarene-based compounds called cavitands. Cavitands create cavities to bind to molecules because of their three-dimensional structure. Two new gradient IC methods were established to identify and quantify perrhenate and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by customized resorcinarene-based column, zinc cyclen resoecinarene (ZCR) and arginine methyl ester (RUE) columns. The ZCR column accomplished outstanding separation of perrhenate …


The Role Of Cytosolic Chaperonin Cct And Its Co-Chaperone Phlp1 In Folding And Assembly Of Signaling Complexes, Yujin Kwon Aug 2023

The Role Of Cytosolic Chaperonin Cct And Its Co-Chaperone Phlp1 In Folding And Assembly Of Signaling Complexes, Yujin Kwon

Theses and Dissertations

CCT, a large (1 MDa) protein-folding machine, is a eukaryotic group II chaperonin that is essential for folding many cellular proteins and is the most complex of all chaperonins with two rings each composed of eight paralogous subunits. CCT captures proteins in its folding chamber to assist the folding of its substrates. CCT utilizes ATP hydrolysis to open and close its chamber and fold its substrates. CCT has been shown to be important in the folding of proteins with - propeller domains which consist of seven WD40 repeat sequences that fold into -sheets that form the blades of a propeller-like …


Evaluating And Advancing Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures: Statistical And Machine Learning Approaches, Bangyu Wang Aug 2023

Evaluating And Advancing Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures: Statistical And Machine Learning Approaches, Bangyu Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Automated traffic signal performance measures (ATSPM) are increasingly used to collect and evaluate traffic data from signalized intersections. ATSPM provide invaluable insights into both current and historical traffic signal performance. With their adoption by over 39 state and local transportation agencies, ATSPM play a crucial role in traffic operation and maintenance. ATSPM are continually evolving, introducing new performance measures and applications tailored to the needs of various transportation agencies. However, despite their potential, several challenges require attention and resolution. The first challenge involves the underutilization of ATSPM data due to its massive volume, which can overwhelm traditional identification and prioritization …


Perceptions Of Teacher Self-Efficacy For A Fourth Year Teacher: A Self-Study Approach, Alyssa Crabb Aug 2023

Perceptions Of Teacher Self-Efficacy For A Fourth Year Teacher: A Self-Study Approach, Alyssa Crabb

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher self-efficacy is a well-researched concept and a key component in student achievement, teacher performance, motivation, and retention. This self-study examined the perceptions of a fourth-year teacher's sense of self-efficacy in her classroom. The study was conducted by journaling about daily events that influenced the teacher's sense of doing well or not over the course of the first term of a school year (August–December). Weekly journals were then re-storied using a three-dimensional narrative structure to ground deeper into the context of the experience of being a teacher. Two main themes emerged: concern for students and concern for evaluation from other …


Critical Engagements With Award Winning Picturebooks: My Journey In Creating A More Equitable Classroom Library, Carrie Elizabeth Crowe Aug 2023

Critical Engagements With Award Winning Picturebooks: My Journey In Creating A More Equitable Classroom Library, Carrie Elizabeth Crowe

Theses and Dissertations

Research consistently shows that students from historically marginalized populations have difficulty accessing texts that represent the realities of their lives. Concerned that such might be the case for my students, I conducted an inventory of my classroom library and sought out award-winning texts that could make my library more diverse and inclusive. I then analyzed these award-winning texts using Bishop's (1992) categories of multicultural literature in order to better understand the picturebooks' underlying messages and ideologies. My examinations showed that the majority of the texts fit into the same category (culturally specific), though I was able to identify award-winning texts …


Terahertz From Electrons, Electronics From Terahertz, Clayton D. Moss Aug 2023

Terahertz From Electrons, Electronics From Terahertz, Clayton D. Moss

Theses and Dissertations

Time-domain terahertz spectroscopy (THz-TDS) is a valuable technique for studying collective ultrafast phenomena. Several mechanisms exist for converting ultrashort optical laser pulses into coherent THz sources. Broadband THz pulses can be obtained from electron currents in air plasma, which requires combinations of different colors of light to be most effective. I report multi-color generation schemes of THz pulses that deliver coherent THz output. Experimental and theoretical work using the photocurrent model describe ways to use non-harmonic color combinations to utilize several sources of light available in a table-top laser setup. Additionally, THz-TDS is used to study a variety of ultrafast …


Robust Localization And Landing For Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles In Maritime Environments, Alexander D. Jordan Aug 2023

Robust Localization And Landing For Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles In Maritime Environments, Alexander D. Jordan

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents methods for robust precision landing of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) on platforms at sea. Localization methods are proposed for UAV-to-boat state estimation for systems that employ real- time kinematic (RTK) global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and vision sensors. Solutions for GNSS-only are first presented, followed by the fusion of GNSS and vision. The important problem of sensor intrinsic calibration is solved with a novel offline batch estimation approach. Hardware results are presented for all methods. Our calibration of GNSS-to-camera is shown to estimate sensor offsets with millimeter level accuracy. Localization systems are combined with custom state machines …


The Influence Of Political Media On Large Language Models: Impacts On Information Synthesis, Reasoning, And Demographic Representation, Alexander Glenn Shaw Aug 2023

The Influence Of Political Media On Large Language Models: Impacts On Information Synthesis, Reasoning, And Demographic Representation, Alexander Glenn Shaw

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the impact of finetuning the LLaMA 33B language model on partisan news datasets, revealing negligible changes and underscoring the enduring influence of pretraining datasets on model opinions. Training nine models across nine distinct news datasets spanning three topics and two ideologies, the study found consistent demographic representation, predominantly favoring liberal, college-educated, high-income, and non-religious demographics. Interestingly, a depolarizing effect emerged from partisan news finetuning, suggesting that intense exposure to topic-specific information might lead to depolarization, irrespective of ideological alignment. Despite the exposure to contrasting viewpoints, LLaMA 33B maintained its common sense reasoning ability, showing minimal variance on …


Early Life Drift And Environmental Effects In Nanocomposite Sensors For Biomechanics Applications, Jacob D. Carter Aug 2023

Early Life Drift And Environmental Effects In Nanocomposite Sensors For Biomechanics Applications, Jacob D. Carter

Theses and Dissertations

Wearable nanocomposite strain sensors are a promising technological advancement for real-time monitoring of human biomechanics. However, characterization of these sensors for biomechanical use can be complex due to factors such as creep-related resistance drift and environmental influence (humidity and temperature). The purpose of this work is to investigate and quantify these factors as well as seek to mitigate their effects. The first portion of this thesis is a study on creep-related drift of the electrical behavior of the sensors, investigating the impact of material cure levels and application of a compressive prestrain in ameliorating the observed drift. DSC testing of …


Examining Drinking To Cope During The Covid-19 Pandemic As Reinforcement Pathology, Matthew Dwyer Aug 2023

Examining Drinking To Cope During The Covid-19 Pandemic As Reinforcement Pathology, Matthew Dwyer

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic is the largest global public health challenge of this century. Concerns were raised that the rapid changes associated with daily life during the initial months of the pandemic would increase depression and alcohol use. However, changes in population-level alcohol use have been mixed. Behavioral economic theories of addiction, such as the Reinforcer Pathology (RP) model, have been proposed as well suited to identify individuals, and inform interventions, to address these concerns. However, no quantitative research has validated this claim in a sample recruited during the pandemic. The current study extended upon existing research by examining patterns of …


The Connection Between Linguistic Insecurity And Cultural Identity In Spanish Heritage Language Learners, Sara Nicole Gardner Aug 2023

The Connection Between Linguistic Insecurity And Cultural Identity In Spanish Heritage Language Learners, Sara Nicole Gardner

Theses and Dissertations

The United States is a host to several ethnicities that bring both their own languages and their own culture to an already large mixing pot. The children of the immigrants who grow up learning both English and their families' heritage language are called heritage language learners (HLLs). The first objective of the study was to find out whether foreign language anxiety had a relationship with reading and writing in Spanish for HLLs in high school. The second was to ascertain whether perception of ethnic identity also had a relationship with reading and writing in Spanish for heritage language learners in …


Spatiotemporal Variation Of Alfalfa Leaf Area Index And Crop Water Productivity In An Irrigated Alfalfa Field, Keegan Dillon Hammond Aug 2023

Spatiotemporal Variation Of Alfalfa Leaf Area Index And Crop Water Productivity In An Irrigated Alfalfa Field, Keegan Dillon Hammond

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the world, there continues to be increasing demand for freshwater resources. With urban expansion, increased demand from a growing population, drought, and climate change, growers must produce more crops using less water. One approach to water conservation is with a variable rate irrigation (VRI) system. VRI technology allows growers to irrigate crops according to site-specific within-field variation instead of a uniform rate across the field. This thesis addresses aspects of within-field variation of irrigated alfalfa as it relates to the potential for VRI. Chapter 1 examines measurement of within-field variation of leaf area index (LAI) to inform variable-rate irrigation …


Investigating How And Why Students Pay Attention And Engage In A High School German Level One Class, Lindsey Marie Nielson Aug 2023

Investigating How And Why Students Pay Attention And Engage In A High School German Level One Class, Lindsey Marie Nielson

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study investigates how and why students pay attention and engage in a German Level One class in a public high school in Utah. Data were collected from surveys, classroom observations, video/audio recordings, and interviews. Findings indicate that three major factors influenced student engagement during this study-type of motivation (extrinsic or intrinsic), type of learning activity (individual, partner, or class), and the mode of activity (technology, paper, or speaking). Additional findings offer support for the idea that metacognition may enhance language learning.


Improved Endmember Mixing Analysis (Emma): Application To A Nested Catchment, Provo River, Northern Utah, Alyssa Nicole Thompson Aug 2023

Improved Endmember Mixing Analysis (Emma): Application To A Nested Catchment, Provo River, Northern Utah, Alyssa Nicole Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

An endmember mixing analysis (EMMA) is a hydrograph separation technique used to identify and quantify stream source contributions, but the error within the results of the analysis itself can be difficult to quantify. Employing EMMA to accurately quantify these contributions is particularly important for critical watersheds that supply water to large populations, such as montane watersheds. We applied EMMA to the Provo River, a nested catchment with three monitoring locations in northern Utah, to understand the limitations and potential improvements that could be made to EMMA. Four main endmembers (quartzite groundwater, soil water, snow and carbonate groundwater) were identified for …


Enhancing Local Hydrological Services With The Geoglows Ecmwf Global Hydrologic Model, Jorge Luis Sanchez Lozano Aug 2023

Enhancing Local Hydrological Services With The Geoglows Ecmwf Global Hydrologic Model, Jorge Luis Sanchez Lozano

Theses and Dissertations

Global hydrological models can fill crucial gaps for providing essential information on water resources management, flood and drought forecasting, and assessing the impacts of climate change. However, these models face several challenges that must be addressed to ensure their applicability at local scales. These challenges include effectively managing Big Data, proper communication, adoption, and achieving accuracy in their results. Achieving accuracy in global hydrological models is critical for acceptance in decision-making, but poses the most significant challenge due to the extensive amount of observed data required and the complexity of obtaining and preparing such data for model evaluation. In this …


Nanoformulations Of Essential Oils Extracted From Pistacia Lentiscus And Boswellia Sacra And Investigation Of Their Anticancer, Antimicrobial, And Antioxidant Activities., Obaydah Abd Alkader Alabrahim Aug 2023

Nanoformulations Of Essential Oils Extracted From Pistacia Lentiscus And Boswellia Sacra And Investigation Of Their Anticancer, Antimicrobial, And Antioxidant Activities., Obaydah Abd Alkader Alabrahim

Theses and Dissertations

Essential oils (EOs) obtained from natural sources have shown promising biological and therapeutical properties such as anticancer, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities, attributing to their high content of a variety of bioactive components. However, EOs’ therapeutic properties are limited by their low stability, poor bioavailability, high volatility, and low targeting ability. Therefore, the encapsulation and nanoformulation of EOs can maximize their therapeutical efficiency and physicochemical properties while overcoming their undesirable side effects and drawbacks. EOs extracted from the resins of Pistacia Lentiscus var. Chia (P.oil) and Boswellia Sacra (B.oil) are two promising EOs that have shown great therapeutic potential. P.oil was …


Real-Time Spatial Interference Removal And Maximum Ratio Combining In Communication Systems, Adam Gary Whipple Aug 2023

Real-Time Spatial Interference Removal And Maximum Ratio Combining In Communication Systems, Adam Gary Whipple

Theses and Dissertations

Radio frequency interference (RFI) is undesired and commonplace. Using a subspace projection method to spatially remove the interference from a phased array system gives results of a 30 dB interference null rejection (INR). Unmanned systems have been developed to observe underwater activity and communicate their observations to passing aircraft. These systems are currently limited by their use of a single transmitter. The uplink can be improved by using a dual-antenna beam steering approach to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) the aircraft receives. This approach demonstrates an increase in SNR of 3 dB when compared to a single transmitter.


Numerical Evaluation Of Forces Affecting Particle Motion In Time-Invariant Pressurized Jet Flow, Donald E. Peterson Aug 2023

Numerical Evaluation Of Forces Affecting Particle Motion In Time-Invariant Pressurized Jet Flow, Donald E. Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

This work evaluates the relative significance of forces determining the motion of a pulverized coal particle under conditions representative of a pressurized oxy-coal combustor. The gravity force and surface forces of drag, fluid stress, added mass, and Basset history are discussed and appropriate forms of these force equations are chosen, with a consideration of spherical and non-spherical drag and the Basset history kernel. Studies from the literature that emphasize specific forces are used to validate the implementation of the force equations and correlations. Modeling is based on time-averaged, one-dimensional motion of a single non-reacting particle along the centerline of a …


The Acceptability Of Relationship-Centered Communication Partner Training For Couples Impacted By Aphasia: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study, Kathryn-Anne Pertab Aug 2023

The Acceptability Of Relationship-Centered Communication Partner Training For Couples Impacted By Aphasia: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study, Kathryn-Anne Pertab

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the acceptability of Relationship-Centered Communication Partner Training (RC-CPT) for couples impacted by aphasia. Three couples participated in the program across two sessions. Surveys were administered to assess outcome measures of their marital relationship and communication confidence before and after participation in RC-CPT. The quantitative findings were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Overall, participants generally maintained or experienced improvements in accessibility, responsiveness, engagement, conflict, conflict resolution, and communication within their marriage after participating in RC-CPT. Additionally, individuals with aphasia demonstrated enhanced communication confidence scores. During the third session, couples completed a semi-structured interview to share their experiences with the …


The Unique Professional Journey Of Female High School Principals In Utah, Deon G. Leavy Aug 2023

The Unique Professional Journey Of Female High School Principals In Utah, Deon G. Leavy

Theses and Dissertations

Women in the United States are underrepresented in high school principalships. A review of literature identified specific barriers that have historically contributed to this disparity including role congruity, normative male dominance, and gender bias against women. Furthermore, the high school principalship has been defined over time from a male perspective assumed to be the universal reality leaving the unique career experiences of female high school principals glossed over and often misunderstood. Similar barriers most likely have also contributed to the underrepresentation of female high school principals in Utah, yet intentional studies analyzing their unique career journeys have not been completed. …


Continuous-Time Trajectory Estimation And Its Application To Sensor Calibration And Differentially Flat Systems, Jacob C. Johnson Aug 2023

Continuous-Time Trajectory Estimation And Its Application To Sensor Calibration And Differentially Flat Systems, Jacob C. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

State estimation is an essential part of any robotic autonomy solution. Continuous-time trajectory estimation is an attractive method because continuous trajectories can be queried at any time, allowing for fusion of multiple asynchronous, high-frequency measurement sources. This dissertation investigates various continuous-time estimation algorithms and their application to a handful of mobile robot autonomy and sensor calibration problems. In particular, we begin by analyzing and comparing two prominent continuous-time trajectory representations from the literature: Gaussian processes and splines, both on vector spaces and Lie groups. Our comparisons show that the two methods give comparable results so long as the same measurements …


A Polarizable Molecular Dynamics Potential For Molten Salt Property Prediction, Jared Thurgood Aug 2023

A Polarizable Molecular Dynamics Potential For Molten Salt Property Prediction, Jared Thurgood

Theses and Dissertations

The present study attempts to find an alternate computational tool to model the complex physical interactions within the molten salt FLiNaK in a way that is both efficient and accurate. Additionally, this study seeks to describe the effects of several different types of impurities on the FLiNaK salt system. This study selects two different polarizable force fields, the AMOEBA polarizable approach and the polarizable ion model, to determine the density and the structure of the impure FLiNaK salt mixtures at typical operating temperatures in molten salt reactors (between 500-900 °C). This study conducts ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations and …


Semantically Structured Creative Computer Systems & Automated Evaluation Of Creative Artifacts, Brad Spendlove Aug 2023

Semantically Structured Creative Computer Systems & Automated Evaluation Of Creative Artifacts, Brad Spendlove

Theses and Dissertations

Computational creativity seeks, in part, to develop autonomous agents that exhibit creativity. Language is an ideal creative domain for studying computer agents due to its rich interconnectedness and immense space of possible combinations. This dissertation explores the design, testing, and theory of creative computer systems that write microfiction and play the board game Codenames. The designs of these systems are all similarly based on building up creative artifacts from the underlying structure of the relationships between words. A critical component of the creative process is the ability to evaluate the quality of creative output. Human and automated assessment of our …