Digital Commons Network^™

Sensitivity Of The Global Carbonate Weathering Carbon-Sink Flux To Climate And Land-Use Change, Sibo Zeng, Zaihua Liu, Georg Kaufmann

KIP Articles

The response of carbonate weathering carbon-sink flux (CCSF) to its environmental drivers is still not well understood on the global scale. This hinders understanding of the terrestrial carbon cycle. Here, we show that there is likely to be a widespread and consistent increase in the global CCSF (ranging from + 9.8% (RCP4.5) to + 17.1% (RCP8.5)) over the period 1950–2100. In the coming years the increasing temperature might be expected to have a negative impact on carbonate weathering. However, the increasing rainfall and anticipated land-use changes will counteract this, leading to a greater CCSF. This finding has been obtained by …

Paving The Road To College: Impacts Of Washington State Policy On Improving Equitable Participation In Dual Credit Courses, Havala Hanson

Interdisciplinary Studies

This dissertation evaluates early impacts of a state policy to increase participation in dual credit courses in Washington state through subsidizing the cost of college credits for underrepresented rural and low-income students, and through extending eligibility to earn dual credit to students in grade 10. This study evaluates both aspects of the policy, with emphasis on the impacts for underrepresented rural and low-income students, students of color, and English learners. It employs quasi-experimental designs to estimate the impact of the policy on intended outcomes. The study finds mixed early impacts of the policy. While no effects were found for students …

Two Makes A Couple: Fictions On Intimacy, Alyssa C. Conner, Jessica Richardson

Honors Theses

This portfolio of fictional short stories was created through the inspiration from constraints drawn from various published short stories. Constraints are a literary technique in which the writer is bound to certain elements or inspires a pattern within a work of writing. Each short story takes place in contemporary society and within the pieces, intimate moments between two individuals are explored throughout. This portfolio, through symbolic language, examines the relationship between our identities and our closest alliances, whether those are our romantic partners, platonic partners, or siblings.

The Uninvited: The Ghosts Of Brigham Young University, Melanie Kimball

Final Projects

Ghost stories about BYU. This paper is a collection of ghost stories set on campus and analyzes the role the university's religion plays in the narratives._

Low Temperature Liquid Metal Batteries For Energy Storage Applications, Cameron A. Lippert, Kunlei Liu, James Landon, Susan A. Odom, Nicolas E. Holubowitch

Center for Applied Energy Research Faculty Patents

The present invention relates to a molten metal battery of liquid bismuth and liquid tin electrodes and a eutectic electrolyte. The electrodes may be coaxial and coplanar. The eutectic electrolyte may be in contact with a surface of each electrode. The eutectic electrolyte may comprise ZnC1₂:KCI.

General Education Subcommittee Minutes, December 17, 2019, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Course approvals
• Reviewing and Approving General Education Designation Proposals
• Update from the Composition Assessment Working Group

Bubble Pinch-Off In Turbulence, Daniel J. Ruth, Wouter Mostert, Stephane Perrard, Luc Deike

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Although bubble pinch-off is an archetype of a dynamical system evolving toward a singularity, it has always been described in idealized theoretical and experimental conditions. Here, we consider bubble pinch-off in a turbulent flow representative of natural conditions in the presence of strong and random perturbations, combining laboratory experiments, numerical simulations, and theoretical modeling. We show that the turbulence sets the initial conditions for pinch-off, namely the initial bubble shape and flow field, but after the pinch-off starts, the turbulent time at the neck scale becomes much slower than the pinching dynamics: The turbulence freezes. We show that the average …

Quliriuralta (Lets Keep Telling Stories): Pace Model With Traditional Yup'ik Storytelling In A Second Grade Dual Language Classroom, Irene M. Wassilie

Linguistics

This research was conducted in a setting where the students are losing their Indigenous language. It is centered around the retention and revitalization of the Yugtun language. The goal of the research was to gain insights into how second graders in a dual language enrichment school constructed meaning and focus on form in their classroom. The instructional model employed as part of this investigation is the PACE Model, which is a story-based approach to teaching grammar through focus on form with an emphasis on meaning making. The model is consistent with Indigenous oral storytelling, cultural values, traditions and expectations. The …

Phylogenetic Relationships Within The Western United States Species Of Lepidium L., Robert W. Lichvar

Chemistry and Biochemistry

The genus Lepidium L. is one of two global genera in the Brassicaceae. The genus has been arranged by species (geographic regions) worldwide, but no formal levels below the genus are recognized. Recent efforts to evaluate phylogenetic relationships have been performed at the global scale for about 20 percent of the species in the genus. The genus is recognized as having subtle and variable morphological characteristics to define species limits. Several nuclear and chloroplast DNA methods have been used to construct phylogenetic relationships within the genus. Incongruences between various phylogenetic trees indicate likely hybridization and/or hybrid origin of multiple species …

Engineering Education Professional Development For Teachers In The Delta Greely School District, Jennifer Dougherty

Education

Over the last two decades engineering has become a new focus in many science curricula, in part due to the emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education. Most teachers lack training or education in engineering and are not adequately prepared to implement effective engineering education. This research identifies the needs and constraints of one district, the Delta Greely School District (DGSD), in Delta Junction, AK (approximately 750 students district-wide). Surveys were distributed to fifty teachers and five administrators to gather information on attitudes and beliefs surrounding engineering education. Focus groups were conducted with teachers and administrators to better …

Video Feedback Efficacy At Romig Middle School, Christopher D. Fliss

Education

Romig Middle School in Anchorage, Alaska, is consistently ranked within the top ten most diverse middle schools in the nation. The main objective of this research will be to determine if video production students meet learning objectives better or worse with video feedback given. The secondary goal is to measure the efficacy of using video feedback as a delivery source of evaluation to students at the eighth-grade level. The methods involve pre-and-post class surveys on the feedback methods and quantitative data gathered on improved technique. The results of this research will guide the use of video feedback in video production …

Thinking Beyond The Text: Examining Teachers’ Dispositions Of Critical Thinking In Elementary Social Studies Classrooms Through The Use Of Socratic Seminars, Jacqueline Hunter

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Research shows that students need opportunities to engage in strategies that will enhance their critical thinking skills. With pressure on teachers to prepare students for state assessments, teachers teach to the test, not giving students chances to dialogue with their peers. To produce citizens in a genuinely democratic world, the voices of students is crucial. Socratic Seminar is a classroom methodology that can foster critical thinking skills and cultivate a democratic learning environment. The purpose of this participatory action research study is to examine teachers’ dispositions of critical thinking in elementary social studies classrooms as students think beyond the text. …

Teacher Perspectives On Content Literacy In Elementary Schools, Jontia Grace

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Content area teachers are expected to incorporate literacy strategies in their classrooms, despite the fact that all content area teachers do no attend professional learning communities to learn effective literacy strategies. This study is needed because many content area teachers lack the necessary knowledge and skills about literacy to be successful in the classroom.

The goal of this study was to impact 5^th grade students’ literacy abilities by supporting teacher development by changing their planning, instruction, and assessment practice. This was done by implementing effective research-based strategies in vocabulary instruction, reading and comprehension instruction, writing instruction, and increasing parental …

Structural And Geochronologic Constraints On The Duration Of The Picuris Orogeny And Demise Of An Orogenic Plateau, Northern Nm, Daniel J. Young

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Metasedimentary and igneous basement rocks in northern New Mexico record episodic pulses of tectonism during cratonic growth from 1.8 to 1.38 Ga. Continued challenges involve parsing the deformational features attributable to the Yavapai Orogeny (1.71-1.68 Ga), Mazatzal orogeny (1.66-1.60 Ga), and Picuris orogeny (1.5-1.38 Ga) in this region and understanding how older structures may have been overprinted and reactivated to explain the observed strain. This paper presents regional cross-sections of the 1.7 Ga Vadito, 1.68 to 1.50 Ga Hondo, and 1.5-1.45 Ga Trampas groups of the Picuris Mountains and Rio Mora areas of northern New Mexico combined with new geochronologic …

Mary In The News: Dec. 17, 2019, Michael Duricy

Marian Library Blog Archive

Read recent items about Mary in both Catholic and secular news. Also, see International Marian Research Institute as well as Marian Library news and updates.

“Treat Me Covalently” – New Tools To Improve Covalent Drug Design For Advancement Of Cancer Treatments, Yuliya Mazo

Student Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this project was to investigate the complex mechanism of covalent bonding among different molecules and their targets in a modeling software ICM-Pro. Specifically, it included the identification of fundamental aspects of a covalent bonding mechanism of the Michael addition reaction. Michael addition reaction of electrophilic α, β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds with a nucleophilic cysteine residue in thymidylate synthase, papain, and EGFR tyrosine kinase were examined. Thymidylate synthase and EGFR were chosen because they are important targets in the treatment of various types of cancer. In order to find the most optimal parameters, identification and assessment of the effect …

Developing Sociolinguistic Awareness Through A Digital Lexicon Project In A Fifth Grade Classroom In Rural Alaska, Julia F. Boynton

Linguistics

This teacher action research examines how teachers can build student awareness of language variations in order to help students make meaning during the learning process thus bridging the gap between home discourse and school discourse. In this study students built a digital lexicon using a class generated list of Village English terms that are present in Aniak, Alaska. The purpose of this study was to build students' sociolinguistic awareness through explicit instruction and the Aniak Digital Lexicon project. The findings showed that providing students with explicit instruction helped develop students during their meaning making process and students were able to …

Tua'll (And Then) I Used Math To Tell A Story: Using Think Alouds To Enhance Agency And Problem Solving In An Indigenous High School Mathematics Class, Jennifer Ayaginaar Boyd

Linguistics

This paper examines action research in a high school math classroom with a focus on student discourse and agency. Students' use of language to explain their problem-solving processes was documented and analyzed. Specifically, the focus was on variations in student language and how the teacher responded to students during the problem-solving process. The following questions guided the analysis of what happened in the classroom: 1) How do my students talk about their math process? 2) How do I mediate their problem solving? One of the teacher researcher's earliest realizations was that she interfered in students' opportunities to problem solve on …

Mutation Signature Analysis Identifies Increased Mutation Caused By Tobacco Smoke Associated Dna Adducts In Larynx Squamous Cell Carcinoma Compared With Oral Cavity And Oropharynx., Andrew P. South, Nicoline Y Den Breems, Tony Richa, Uche Nwagu, Tingting Zhan, Shiv Poojan, Ubaldo E. Martinez-Outshoorn, Jennifer M. Johnson, Adam J. Luginbuhl, Joseph Curry

Kimmel Cancer Center Papers, Presentations, and Grand Rounds

Squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (HNSCC) arise from mucosal keratinocytes of the upper aero-digestive tract. Despite a common cell of origin and similar driver-gene mutations which divert cell fate from differentiation to proliferation, HNSCC are considered a heterogeneous group of tumors categorized by site of origin within the aero-digestive mucosa, and the presence or absence of HPV infection. Tobacco use is a major driver of carcinogenesis in HNSCC and is a poor prognosticator that has previously been associated with poor immune cell infiltration and higher mutation numbers. Here, we study patterns of mutations in HNSCC that are …

Ypfs Lessons Learned Oral History Project: An Interview With Lorie Logan, Mercedes Cardona, Lorie Logan

Documents

Suggested Citation Form: Logan, Lorie, 2019. “Lessons Learned Interview."Interview by Mercedes Cardona. Yale Program on Financial Stability Lessons Learned Oral History Project. December 17, 2019. Transcript. https://ypfs.som.yale.edu/library/ypfs-lesson-learned-oral-history-project-interview-lorie-logan

Personal Identity, Psychological Continuity, And Survival, James D. Martin, Dennis Earl

Honors Theses

In this paper, I consider the question of personal identity, namely: in virtue of what is one person the same person at two different points in time? I first raise objections to theories which argue it is in virtue of physical continuity or continuity soul, then argue that an account of psychological continuity is most successful. One might object to psychological continuity on the grounds of reduplication and fusion problems. I argue that strict numerical identity is a bar set too high and rather that survival (construed as the continuation of a first-person perspective) is what matters for personal identity. …

Small Worlds: A Collection Of Creative Nonfiction On Relationships And Our Connections, Nicole H. Conner, Colin Burch

Honors Theses

Small Worlds is a collection of creative nonfiction, personal essays, and memoir essays detailing the connections between relationships, love, and music.

Um Professors Collaborate With Counterparts Through Sec Grant, Shea Stewart

University of Mississippi News

Faculty Travel Program encourages, supports conference partnerships

An Assessment Of Generation Z’S Preferences For Guest-Facing Hotel Technologies, Jennifer Jaimes, Mehmet Erdem, Chih Chien Chen, Bill Doyle

Hospitality Faculty Research

Generation Z, also commonly described as Digital Natives, is a notable emerging market for hoteliers. Given the ever-evolving nature of the consumers, existing marketing strategies may not always be effective for incoming generational cohorts. This exploratory study submits that examining Generation Z members’ perceptions on guest-facing hotel technologies could yield useful information for new marketing strategies. The findings establish that guest-facing technologies is an important consideration for the members of Generation Z when selecting a hotel accommodation and they are willing to pay more for a hotel property that offers them. However, the level of perceived importance of such technologies …

Multiple Agent Target Tracking In Gps-Denied Environments, Skyler Tolman

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are effective for surveillance and monitoring, but struggle with persistent, long-term tracking, especially without GPS, due to limited flight time. Persistent tracking can be accomplished using multiple vehicles if one vehicle can effectively hand off the tracking information to another replacement vehicle. This work presents a solution to the moving-target handoff problem in the absence of GPS. The proposed solution (a) a nonlinear complementary filter for self-pose estimation using only an IMU, (b) a particle filter for relative pose estimation between UAS using a relative range (c) visual target tracking using a gimballed camera when the …

Force-Stabilizing Synergies Can Be Retained By Coordinating Sensory-Blocked And Sensory-Intact Digits, Wei Zhang, Sasha Reschechtko, Barry Hahn, Cynthia Benson, Elias Youssef

Publications and Research

The present study examined the effects of selective digital deafferentation on the multi-finger synergies as a function of total force requirement and the number of digits involved in isometric pressing. 12 healthy adults participated in maximal and sub-maximal isometric pressing tasks with or without digital anesthesia to selective digits from the right hand. Our results indicate that selective anesthesia paradigm induces changes in both anesthetized (local) and non-anesthetized (non-local) digits’ performance, including: (1) decreased maximal force abilities in both local and non-local digits; (2) reduced force share during multi-finger tasks from non-local but not local digits; (3) decreased force error-making; …

Teaching The Sun As Simile: Bringing Nature Into Language Arts Middle School Classrooms, Stormy Kage

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

Teaching the Sun as Simile is an essay that explores an interdisciplinary approach to teaching middle school English Language Arts (ELA) by infusing nature and environmental studies. This essay defines emerging concepts of new literacy studies and eco-criticism, literacy, and composition as it relates to ELA pedagogy. Also, it provides an explanation for the importance and relevance of using nature to develop an ecosystem of better readers, writers and communicators in middle school general ed and special ed classrooms.

Ballot Readability And Plain Language, Roger Poole

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

The goal of this study was to examine the effect that readability and plain language had on voters' responses to Georgia's five legislatively-referred constitutional amendments (LRCA) in the November 2018 election. This study sought to answer the following questions regarding ballot readability and plain language:

1. Do voters distinguish the difference between traditionally composed ballots and plain language ballots?
2. Do voters have a preference between conventional worded ballots and reworded ballot language that improved readability?

Given that partisan lawyers and lobbyists write many state ballot questions, there may be tendencies to compose legislatively-referred constitutional amendments in confusing and unclear language designed …

Subglacial Meltwater Supported Aerobic Marine Habitats During Snowball Earth, Maxwell A. Lechte, Malcolm W. Wallace, Ashleig Van Smeerdijk Hooda, Weiqiang Li, Ganqing Jiang, Galen P. Halverson, Dan Asael, Stephanie L. Mccoll, Noah J. Planavsky

Geoscience Faculty Research

The Earth’s most severe ice ages interrupted a crucial interval in eukaryotic evolution with widespread ice coverage during the Cryogenian Period (720 to 635 Ma). Aerobic eukaryotes must have survived the “Snowball Earth” glaciations, requiring the persistence of oxygenated marine habitats, yet evidence for these environments is lacking. We examine iron formations within globally distributed Cryogenian glacial successions to reconstruct the redox state of the synglacial oceans. Iron isotope ratios and cerium anomalies from a range of glaciomarine environments reveal pervasive anoxia in the ice-covered oceans but increasing oxidation with proximity to the ice shelf grounding line. We propose that …

Isolation Of Metrosideros (`Ohi`A) Taxa On O`Ahu Increases With Elevation And Extreme Environments, Elizabeth A. Stacy, Tomoko Sakishima, Heaven Tharp, Neil Snow

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Species radiations should be facilitated by short generation times and limited dispersal among discontinuous populations. Hawaii’s hyper-diverse, landscape-dominant tree, Metrosideros, is unique among the islands’ radiations for its massive populations that occur continuously over space and time within islands, its exceptional capacity for gene flow by both pollen and seed, and its extended life span (ca. >650 years). Metrosideros shows the greatest phenotypic and microsatellite DNA diversity on O`ahu, where taxa occur in tight sympatry or parapatry in mesic and montane wet forest on 2 volcanoes. We document the nonrandom distributions of 12 taxa (including unnamed morphotypes) along elevation gradients, …