Digital Commons Network^™

Race Bias In The Diagnosis Of Schizophrenia, Rose M. Fernandez

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Novel Extracellular Matrix (Ecm) Proteins (Mgp And Lumican) And Their Implications In Vascular Development, Angiogenesis, And Cancer, Bikram Sharma

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Traitorous Texting: Addressing The Methodological Issue Of Arousal In Romantic Jealousy Research, Rachel Rasley

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Spiritual Flow: The Influence Of Religious Experience On Psychological Well-Being, Christian H. Monson

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

2012-2013 All Committee Updates

NASIG Newsletter

No abstract provided.

December 2012 Full Issue

NASIG Newsletter

No abstract provided.

An Exploration Into The Perceived Effects Of International Volunteering And Service On Host Communities In The Global South, Katelyn Kerrigan

Master's Theses

Presently, we are witnessing an unprecedented expansion of Western youth participating in short-term (1 to 2 week) international volunteering and service (IVS) programs in developing countries located predominantly in the Global South (Lough, 2012; Sherraden et al., 2008). Current academic literature around the impacts IVS has on receiving host communities in developing countries is highly controversial. This study utilizes ethnographic research, involving a combination of participant -observation and semi-structured interviews, to gain the perspectives of the Fijian Highland villagers from the IVS host community, on the positive and negative effects of hosting American (aged 14-18) participating in short-term (one-week) international …

Identifying Causes Of Student End Of Year Transfers As Experienced At Private All-Male Military Boarding Schools: A Multiple Case Study, Frank Martin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined and helped identify causes for end-of-year transfers from private all-male military boarding schools to a non-military school. The purposes of this study were twofold. The first purpose was to identify the reasons why parents chose to transfer their sons from the all-male military private boarding school of their choice to another school from the 2009-2010 school year to the 2010-2011 school year. A secondary purpose was to identify any commonalities amongst the military schools involved in the study regarding why students returned to either their previous school or chose another school, whether public or private. The researcher …

Examining Crime Among College-Aged Christians: Are Christian Religious Beliefs Associated With Low Levels Of Criminal Activity?, Paul Rickert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational study into crime among college-aged Christians in the United States is to determine if indicating higher levels of Christian spiritual growth is associated with lower levels of criminal behavior. A convenience sample of college aged Christians was given an online survey to measure self-reported criminality measured by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Uniform Crime Reports Part I and Part II and self-reported religious convictions as measured by Bufford et al.'s Christ-like Spiritual Growth Scale. This quantitative study then analyzed data generated from 57 respondents and found that reporting higher rates of Christ-like …

Altered Hemodynamics, Endothelial Function, And Protein Expression Occur With Aortic Coarctation And Persist After Repair, Arjun Menon, Thomas J. Eddinger, Hongfeng Wang, David C. Wendell, Jeffrey M. Toth, John F. Ladisa

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is associated with substantial morbidity despite treatment. Mechanically induced structural and functional vascular changes are implicated; however, their relationship with smooth muscle (SM) phenotypic expression is not fully understood. Using a clinically representative rabbit model of CoA and correction, we quantified mechanical alterations from a 20-mmHg blood pressure (BP) gradient in the thoracic aorta and related the expression of key SM contractile and focal adhesion proteins with remodeling, relaxation, and stiffness. Systolic and mean BP were elevated for CoA rabbits compared with controls leading to remodeling, stiffening, an altered force response, and endothelial dysfunction both …

Custom And The Rule Of Law In The Administration Of The Income Tax, Lawrence Zelenak

Duke Law Journal

From the early years of the federal income tax to the present, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has engaged in what might be termed "customary deviations" from the dictates of the Internal Revenue Code, always in a taxpayer-favorable direction. A prominent current example is the IRS's "don't ask, don't tell" policy with respect to employee-retained frequent flier miles; in a 2002 announcement (which, as of 2012, is still in force), the IRS indicated that such miles were technically within the scope of the statutory definition of gross income, but that the IRS had no intention of enforcing the law. This …

Custom, Contract, And Kidney Exchange , Kieran Healy, Kimberly D. Krawiec

Duke Law Journal

In this Essay, we examine a case in which the organizational and logistical demands of a novel form of organ exchange (the nonsimultaneous, extended, altruistic donor (NEAD) chain) do not map cleanly onto standard cultural schemas for either market or gift exchange, resulting in sociological ambiguity and legal uncertainty. In some ways, a NEAD chain resembles a form of generalized exchange, an ancient and widespread instance of the norm of reciprocity that can be thought of simply as the obligation to "pay it forward" rather than the obligation to reciprocate directly with the original giver. At the same time, a …

Tradition As Past And Present In Substantive Due Process Analysis, Katharine T. Bartlett

Duke Law Journal

Tradition is often understood as an inheritance from the past that has no connection to the present. Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court on both ends of the ideological spectrum work from this understanding, particularly in analyzing cases under the substantive due process clause. Some conservative Justices say that substantive due process protects only rights that were firmly established when the Constitution was ratified. In contrast, some liberal Justices dismiss tradition as being too stagnant and oppressive to serve as a limit on substantive due process rights, relying instead on contemporary norms and reason. Both of these approaches share an …

Distinguishing The “Truly National” From The “Truly Local”: Customary Allocation, Commercial Activity, And Collective Action, Neil S. Siegel

Duke Law Journal

This Essay makes two claims about different methods of defining the expanse and limits of the Commerce Clause. My first claim is that approaches that privilege traditional subjects of state regulation are unworkable and undesirable. These approaches are unworkable in light of the frequency with which the federal government and the states regulate the same subject matter in our world of largely overlapping federal and state legislative jurisdiction. The approaches are undesirable because the question of customary allocation is unrelated to the principal reason why Congress possesses the power to regulate interstate commerce: solving collective action problems involving multiple states. …

Analysis Of Irrigation Decision Behavior And Forecasting Future Irrigation Decisions, Sanyogita Andriyas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Farmers play a pivotal role in food production. To be economically successful, farmers must make many decisions during the course of a growing season about the allocation of inputs to production. For farmers in arid regions, one of these decisions on any given day is whether to irrigate. This research is the first of its kind to investigate the probable reasons that lead a farmer to make irrigation decisions and use those reasons/factors to forecast future irrigation decisions. This study can help water managers and canal operators to estimate short-term irrigation demands, thereby gaining information that might be useful to …

Evaluation Of The Optimum Duration And Effectiveness Of A Plyometric Training Program For Improving The Motor Abilities Of Youth With Cerebral Palsy, Barbara A. Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Pediatric Section of the American Physical Therapy Association determined that dosing of treatments for children with cerebral palsy (CP) was a priority topic for research funding in 2013. Pediatric physical therapists currently have very little information about the best duration for treatment. Research that could answer the question "How long should my child's treatment last?" would be of interest to families of children with CP and their physical therapists.

A type of resistive exercise called plyometric exercise was used as a treatment for three children with cerebral palsy. This study used a design called single subject that allowed the …

Synthesis And Biological Activity Of Aminoglycosides And 1,4-Naphthoquinone Derivatives, Marina Fosso Yatchang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The research described in this dissertation is at the interface of organic chemistry and biology, and it aimed at designing and synthesizing biologically active molecules for the possible development of therapeutic agents.

Spinal muscular atrophy is an incurable disease that affects 1 in every 6000 babies, making it the leading genetic cause of infant mortality. While no treatment is available, efforts are being taken to solve this issue. Part of the work outlined in this dissertation was carried out in collaboration with researchers from the University of Missouri to investigate a potential therapeutic for this disease.

In addition, the continuous …

Mechanisms And Signal Transduction Pathways Involved In Bovine Oocyte Activation, Ammon Hanson Bayles

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Being able to create a genetically identical, living replicate of a prized animal sounds impossible. Through advanced scientific methods and the wonders of mother nature it can be accomplished by a process called cloning. In 2003, the USU Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science department and Dr. Kenneth L. White gained world wide recognition when they, along with a team for Idaho, cloned the first equine species.

Cloning certain animals could be very advantageous to the agricultural industry. Prized animals that have died could be cloned, producing the best meat and milk supply. Animals that are sterile or endangered could be …

Utah Angler Specialization And Its Relationship To Environmental Attitudes And Angler Motivations, Joseph W. Unger Iii

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For this research, I sampled 10,000 anglers who purchased a Utah fishing or fishing/hunting combination license from January through November, 2011. An online survey link was provided to the potential participants during November-December, 2011, to determine levels of specialization, motivations for fishing, and environmental awareness/concern. Anglers were also compared to a sample from the general public to compare the two groups’ feelings toward several practices taking place on public lands. Finally, anglers were divided into consumptive and nonconsumptive subgroups to compare the environmental attitudes of these two groups.

Three angler specialization groups were identified from the sample of respondents. Anglers …

Using Biophysical Geospatial And Remotely Sensed Data To Classify Ecological Sites And States, Carson A. Stam

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Within the Intermountain West, vast expanses of big sagebrush shrubland and steppe are considered emblems of the western range. Currently, there are approximately 60 million hectares of big sagebrush within the 11 western states, four million of which are in the state of Utah. However, the historic distribution of sagebrush has been impacted by conversion to other types of land cover through juniper encroachment, urbanization, invasive weeds, and agricultural expansion. In Utah alone, big sagebrush communities have been reduced to approximately 55% of their historic extent. A primary and current example of the cumulative impact of big sagebrush loss is …

Modulation Of The Host Response To Tacaribe Arenavirus Infection In Ag129 Mice By My-24, Eric Sefing

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

MY-24 is a new antiviral compound recently shown to protect immunocompromised mice from lethal challenge with Tacaribe virus (TCRV). Tacaribe virus is incapable of causing disease to humans, but is closely related to the highly pathogenic New World arenaviruses that cause often-fatal viral hemorrhagic fever syndromes. Remarkably, MY-24 prevents mortality without reducing virus burden in the circulation or tissues. To investigate the mechanism by which MY-24 protects AG129 mice against Tacaribe virus infection, we first characterized the natural history of disease in the model with an emphasis on host immune response and blood vessel function to establish the best times …

Closed-Loop Thrust And Pressure Profile Throttling Of A Nitrous Oxide/Hydroxyl-Terminated Polybutadiene Hybrid Rocket Motor, Zachary W. Peterson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Hybrid motors that employ non-toxic, non-explosive components with a liquid oxidizer and a solid hydrocarbon fuel grain have inherently safe operating characteristics. The inherent safety of hybrid rocket motors offers the potential to greatly reduce overall operating costs. Another key advantage of hybrid rocket motors is the potential for in-flight shutdown, restart, and throttle by controlling the pressure drop between the oxidizer tank and the injector. This research designed, developed, and ground tested a closed-loop throttle controller for a hybrid rocket motor using nitrous oxide and hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene as propellants. The research simultaneously developed closed-loop throttle algorithms and lab scale …

Population Dynamics And Movements Of Translocated And Resident Greater Sage-Grouse On Anthro Mountain, Utah, Natasha W. Gruber

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations have declined range-wide. Species translocations have been identified as a conservation strategy to augment declining populations in restored habitats. I evaluated protocols previously used to successfully translocate greater sage-grouse in Utah by comparing annual production, survival, habitat use, integration and seasonal movements of translocated birds and their chicks to the resident population. To conduct this study, I translocated 60 greater sagegrouse hens captured and radio-collared on Parker Mountain to Anthro Mountain in the spring of 2009 and 2010. I also captured and radio-collared 19 resident hens to serve as my control group. All …

Factors Influencing Relocation Success Of Utah Prairie Dog (Cynomys Parvidens), Rachel Curtis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Utah prairie dogs have been extirpated in 90% of their historic range due to introduced disease, eradication, and habitat destruction. Most of the population lives on private land where animals burrow in lawns and agricultural fields, which keeps this threatened species continually in conflict with landowners. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has been relocating prairie dogs from private to public land since the 1970s, but relocations have been largely unsuccessful due to high mortality. Prairie dogs are highly social animals, but they are usually relocated without regard to their family group, or coterie. Coteries typically consist of one reproductive …

A Study Of Utah’S New Century Scholarship (Ncs) Program, Christine Kearl

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This was a study about the New Century Scholarship (NCS) program offered to Utah high school students at commencement for earning an AA degree by the time of high school graduation. The scholarship paid 75% of the remaining 2 years of tuition over a 5-year period. The goal of the program was to assist students to bachelor degree completion faster than the traditional time.

This program has been in Utah for the past 20 years, but little to no information about the program exists. Annually, the cost to taxpayers is approximately $2 million dollars. This study was conducted to determine …

A Flexible Consent Management System For Master Person Indices, Aditya Pakalapati

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In healthcare, a Master Person Index (MPI) is a system that integrates information of individual from multiple data sources. To ensure confidentiality, such systems, particularly in healthcare, need to respect individual and organizational constraints on the sharing of data. This report describes a reusable consent management system that enforces such constraints and how it has been tested in the context of the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) MPI for public health.

Medical Professionalism: An Expiremental Look At Physicians' Facebook Profiles, Joseph Wright Clyde

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Use of social networking services (SNS) is on the rise. While many users sign in for personal purposes, it is not uncommon for professionals to connect over SNSs with clients, students, and patients. The present study was concerned with examining a particular group of professionals, medical doctors, and how their profiles on an SNS site related to potential patient's impressions of professionalism. Participants recruited from Utah State University (USU; n = 253) and through Survey Monkey (n = 39) were randomized to view one of six vignette Facebook profiles. Profiles were populated with solely professional material or personal material …

Effects Of Flooding And Tamarisk Removal On Habitat For Sensitive Fish Species In The San Rafael River, Utah: Implications For Furture Restoration Efforts, Daniel Louis Keller

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Part I of this report is focused on assessment of habitat changes on the San Rafael River after the abnormally high water year in 2011. Having habitat data and aerial imagery collected in 2010 (pre-flood) provided an opportunity to assess how a flood of this magnitude changed river habitat. In 2011 we commissioned a second aerial flight of the San Rafael River to serve as post flood imagery, then used Geographic Information Systems (GIS, ArcMap 10) to analyze river changes due to tamarisk removal and flooding. Our tamarisk removal project appears to have increased the potential for spring floods to …

Urban Trail System Planning In The Western United States: An Analysis Of The Trail-Specific Planning Efforts Of Four Cities That Have Implemented Urban Trail Systems, Kenneth C. Richley

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

States in the Western United States are growing at rates outpacing the rest of the nation. This growth is placing pressure on communities to develop their current open space for residential or commercial use. As cities develop a comprehensive open space plans, several elements arise. One critical element is connectivity. This connectivity is most often realized in the form of greenways. In many cities these greenways contain urban trail systems that provide significant recreation and connectivity benefits.

This thesis investigates the current recommended models used to plan for greenway, synthesizes them into a recommended model process, and analyzes case studies …

Comparative Analysis Of Healthcare Expenditure In The United States And Canada, Chris N. Anazia

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Total healthcare expenditures and expenditures as a percentage of GDP have been substantially higher in the U.S. than in Canada between 1975 – 2008. Hospitalcare, physician and clinical services, and drug prescription expenditures have been the principal components contributing to growth in healthcare expenditures in the U.S. compared to Canada. This study reviews the literature on increasing healthcare costs and establishes some comparative and descriptive analysis for high healthcare costs in the two countries during this time period. The study also analyses and compares the growth of healthcare costs.