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Tremblings, May 2023, Western Aspen Alliance

Tremblings

The WAA: Fifteen Year Status

Paul C. Rogers

Aspen, the species, unites our member community. We reach out, connect, sprout new growth, and respond to ever-present change like a hidden root web supporting an above-ground grove of swaying pale stems and flickering foliage. Carbohydrates, stored subterranean, represent the future of such networks; linkages unseen nourish future forests, enrich ecosystems, and fuel organizations like ours. After 15 years, the Western Aspen Alliance has flourished following disturbance, but faces an uncertain outlook given uncertain funding prospects. The good news is that this WAA community, buried junctures and all, represents a resilience in …

Libby In Limbo, Moriah Claire Hall

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Libby in Limbo is a scripted narrative podcast that follows Libby as she moves back to her small hometown, gets a job as a librarian, and learns to navigate life in a small, tight-knit community. This podcast serves two main purposes: to create entertainment media about a library that does not promote harmful stereotypes about libraries and to create awareness and accessibility of scripted podcasts.

Face Off: Overcoming The Fifth Amendment Conflict Between Cybersecurity And Self-Incrimination, Zachary E. Jacobson

Journal of Law and Health

The Founders included the privilege against self-incrimination in the Constitution to protect individual privacy and ensure a fair judicial process. Courts have failed U.S. citizens by neglecting to protect them from compelled unlocking of biometrically encrypted devices. This inaction has created a loophole that contradicts the framework of the privilege against self-incrimination. To correct this mistake courts should reconsider the trend they have set for the Constitution and the Fifth Amendment and consider adopting a forward-thinking cybersecurity lens to conclude that biometric authentication is testimonial. Courts should consider that biometric encryption is akin to a compelled password entry for the …

Adolescents With Family History Of Alcohol-Use Disorders Have Reduced Structural Coherence Of Anterior Insula To Nucleus Accumbens Tract, Grace Wood

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Genetics play a significant role in predisposition towards alcohol use disorders. Analyzing the neural phenotypes related to alcohol use disorder development could allow researchers to predict one’s predisposition. The anterior insula (AIns) contributes to binge drinking tendencies while exhibiting downstream signaling towards the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). Recent research has examined this relationship simultaneously with alcohol consumption, but the genetic effect of the AIns and NAcc functional relationship prior to alcohol consumption has yet to be examined. In this study, we used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study to analyze the structural coherence of the AIns to NAcc …

Prevalence Of Ehrlichia And Rickettsia Within Ticks In Arkansas State Parks, Haley Stanton

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Within the past few decades, the number of diagnoses of tick-borne diseases – such as spotted fever rickettsiosis and ehrlichiosis – has steadily increased throughout the United States, with Arkansas having one of the highest rates in the country. These diseases pose a risk to both humans and animals, as both can acquire these infections from ticks. Due to the increasing geographic range of ticks, rise in cases, and likely underdiagnosis of these diseases, this study aimed to identify the infection rate of ticks themselves in multiple state parks in Arkansas. Four Arkansas state parks were each visited once a …

Evaluating Plastic Bending Using The Cozzone Method And Material Non-Linear Fea, Mikaela Leevy

2023 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

In a wide range of practical applications, plastic bending analysis methods are important in understanding the structural capability of a part beyond the elastic range of a material. In the senior design project of which I am a member, a 3/8 inch diameter pin is a key structural component for a mooring cam product targeted at marine applications. The goal of this project is to compare two analysis methods of plastic bending in this pin to elastic calculations and experimental data. The two plastic analysis methods used are the Cozzone method and material non-linear finite element analysis with three-point bending …

The Increasing Demand For Offering Construction Management Programs., Koosha Jamali

2023 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Those who wish to begin their careers in construction management do so primarily with either construction trade experience or academic backgrounds. There are narrow pathways through educational institutions for those seeking construction management careers. Many universities do not offer construction curriculums. Instead, students often study architecture or civil engineering as a gateway to the industry. Some work as tradesmen and move on to managerial positions. As those options are neither direct nor efficient, the solution would be to offer specific degree plans for construction management practices. Some universities provide construction management. However, there is a demand for much more. This …

Symptom Patterns And Their Association With Influencing Factors In Adults With Long Covid - A Secondary Analysis, Maaham Chaudhry

2023 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Currently available information on the risk factors, manifestation, treatments, and long-term effects of the long COVID is inconclusive, requiring further research to identify timely interventions that may help treat long COVID patients, reduce symptom burden and restore functional abilities. This research aims to analyze symptom patterns and their association with influencing factors in adults with long COVID by examining intercorrelations among symptoms, identifying influencing factors of symptoms, and examining the associations of symptoms with disability and quality of life over time in long COVID patients. The Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms developed by Lenz et al. (1997) is applied as the …

Is Artificial Intelligence (Ai) In Recruitment Getting Better?, Usra Asghar Qureshi

2023 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

In recent years, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the recruitment process has seen a significant increase, with many companies relying on third-party vendors to streamline their efforts. While AI has numerous advantages such as improving efficiency, reducing costs, and identifying the most qualified candidates, there are concerns about algorithmic bias and unfair treatment. Possible causes of these issues include insufficient training, improper technology use, and inadequate parameter specifications. The study examines the sentiment surrounding AI hiring over the last decade and determines whether advancements in technology and a better understanding of AI have made it mature enough to …

Winter Cover Crop Performance In The Southern Piedmont Region Of South Carolina, Payton Davis

All Theses

Cover crops (CC) offer in-field and environmental benefits when integrated into cropping systems. Low CC adoption in the southern Piedmont of South Carolina is partially due to the lack of information on CC performance and benefits within the region. To address this, eight winter CC and a fallow/pigweed treatment were investigated for their influence on soil temperature, volumetric water content (VWC), percent cover, biomass, and the occurrence of soil water repellency (SWR). A randomized complete block design experiment was conducted in the fall and winter of 2021-2022 (EXP A) and repeated in 2022-2023 (EXP B). Cover crops minimally influenced soil …

Laser Stabilization Through Optical Turbulence, Liam Vanderschaaf

All Theses

Laser jitter presents a significant issue in the fields of laser communication and sensing. There are two main categories of positional noise in regards to the instantaneous centroid of a laser propagating over long distances: jitter resulting from optical turbulence and jitter resulting from mechanical vibrations. Optical turbulence was generated using Clemson University’s Variable Turbulence Generator (VTG). The VTG is capable of creating a desired level of optical turbulence that is comparable to atmospheric conditions with fried parameters greater than 0.3 cm. A gaussian laser was transmitted through the VTG and a system of Fast Steering Mirrors and Position Sensing …

Using Visual Effects As A Means Of Establishing Or Reinforcing Scale In 3d Visual Works, Eric Dinicolantonio

All Theses

In 3D animation, visual effects help to establish and reinforce the scale of different characters and objects that are otherwise unclear. In the Fall of 2022, I taught a class about visual effects to several students. At the time, I had difficulty explaining the importance of properly scaling your 3D effects in order to add realism. With physically based effects, we must respect the laws of physics to create a visually realistic and understandable visual effect. Going through several of my previous projects, I found that I had made mistakes with scaling several of my effects. With this paper, I …

Perspective And Perception: How Reddit Trip Reports Convey And Offer Different Knowledges About Psychedelic Drugs, Kevin Lawson Nutt

All Theses

Psychedelics drugs are slowly gaining recognition for their potential medicinal value in therapeutic settings in Western science. However, there remains a great deal of hostility and hesitancy toward psychedelics, largely due to the psychedelics’ collective classification as Schedule I drugs in America, which resulted from a history of the drug class’ demonization. Nonetheless, several US states and cities having decriminalized psychedelic drugs in certain contexts, but the general population is relatively naïve to the potentialities psychedelics can offer. This thesis studies trip reports, which are firsthand accounts of individual psychedelic experiences, on Reddit to shed light on the different knowledges …

Gardner-Webb Hires Assistant Professor For Cybersecurity Program, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Gardner-Webb’s administration has announced the hiring of a new lead faculty member for cybersecurity. Oscar Gonzalez will serve as assistant professor of computer science in the Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences. He has 22 years of experience teaching information technology, which includes eight years in the cybersecurity field. The University began offering the cybersecurity concentration in January to prepare graduates for this field that is expected to have 3.5 million job openings in 2025.

Use Of Smartphone Apps While Driving: Variations On Driving Performances, Perceived Risks And Behaviors, Juana Perez

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

ABSTRACT: Distracted driving increases the crash frequencies on the road and subsequently leads to fatalities involved with crashes. As technology has evolved, drivers are continuously exposed to newer technology in their vehicles and applications in their phones, which has led to technology representing one of the main secondary tasks that distract drivers on the road. The impact of technology-involved distraction appears to be different by the type of distraction since a secondary task that can be exceedingly distracting to the driver causes more reckless and risky driving. Moreover, the impact of distracted driving may differ by roadway geometries since distracted …

Novel Roles Of Standard And Non-Standard Null Lagrangians In Classical And Quantum Physics, Lesley Catherine Vestal

Physics Dissertations - Archive

The three known families of Lagrangians are standard, non-standard, and null Lagrangians. While Lagrangians are widely used in Physics for their ability to characterize physical systems, most of this work uses only standard Lagrangians. As such, standard Lagrangians have been studied in Physics for around three hundred years; however, non-standard Lagrangians for systems in Physics have been considered only for a few decades, and null have been ignored almost entirely. Although only some Lagrangians are null Lagrangians, all Lagrangians can be categorized as either standard or non-standard Lagrangians, meaning that there exist standard null Lagrangians and non-standard null Lagrangians. My …

Formal Processes For Inspecting Bridge Deck Drains Using Lidar And Photogrammetry, Ahmad Kamal Bani Hani

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

ABSTRACT: Poor-performing bridge deck drains result in water standing on the bridge deck. The standing water threatens the safety of bridge users and deteriorates bridge structural elements. Bridge deck drains are only inspected biennially, and they do not impact the bridge rating established from inspections. Furthermore, literature shows that visual inspection results are sometimes skewed due to human errors. In this regard, a part of this research was conducting a survey study to help identify the problems with deck drains to help transportation agencies minimize the consequences of poor drainage. Another part of this research was to create a convolutional …

Project Jobs: Reagan, The Ins, And Undocumented Workers In 1982, Meghan Scott-Chaber

History Theses - Archive

Using digitized archival material, newspaper articles, and court documents, this thesis examines a 1982 federal deportation campaign in the United States called “Project Jobs,” which resulted in the apprehension of an estimated 5,400 undocumented workers, and the ultimate deportation of 4,000 of them. The operation targeted nine major U.S. cities with the goal of freeing up jobs for unemployed U.S. citizens during a recession. While Operation Wetback targeted undocumented workers in the agricultural sector, Project Jobs targeted high-paying urban jobs that were intended to be desirable for U.S. citizens. Although the operation received substantial publicity at the time, it has …

Evolution Of Allostery And Conformational Dynamics Of Caspases Involved In The Extrinsic Pathway Of Apoptosis, Mithun Nag Karadi Giridhar

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Caspases are a class of cysteine proteases that play a crucial role in programmed cell death (apoptosis). We complete an evolutionary picture of folding of caspases in the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis. The folding models show that the conformational free energy of the monomeric fold is conserved in the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis. In addition, with molecular dynamics and mass spectrometry we also show that the small subunit is less stable than the large subunit and charges destabilize allosteric regions in caspases allowing for dynamics. In order to gain insight into the evolution of allostery in caspases across different species, …

Cell Division In Mycobacteria: The Role Of Sepiva, Angela H. Freeman

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Today, about a quarter of the world’s population are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and therefore, are at risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) disease. Tuberculosis, on average, takes about six months to treat, and even longer for those with drug resistant Mtb infections (World Health Organization, 2022). Extended treatment times for these infections are caused by the inherent tolerance to antibiotics conveyed by mycobacteria’s distinct cell wall. Mycobacteria have a wide variety of cell wall regulators that help the cell adapt to stress, such as antibiotics. By understanding how these regulators work, we can learn how mycobacteria evade killing by …

Lost In Your Halo: The Influence Of Group Attractiveness And Diversity On Perceived Group Performance Ratings, Jade C. Chacon

Psychology Theses - Archive

Research on attractiveness suggests that more attractive individuals are assumed to have superiority on several traits, such as happiness and extraversion. This is termed the halo effect. Additionally, within the diversity literature, although inconsistent, there is evidence supporting the importance of diversity within a team to promote better group performance and to foster creativity and innovation. This study examined, for the first time, whether the physical attractiveness halo effect applies to groups. Particularly, overall group attractiveness, group diversity, and their interactive influence on perceived group creative performance were examined. This experiment manipulated both the attractiveness and the diversity of the …

Understanding The Impact Self-Service Technology (Sst) Has On Front-Line Employees (Fles) In A Retail Service Environment, Abigail Torres Rico

Marketing Dissertations - Archive

The widespread adoption of self-service technology (SST) has revolutionized how customers make decisions and dramatically shifted the roles of front-line employees (FLEs) in retail environments. However, most research on SSTs only focuses on their effects on customer behavior. This three-essay dissertation explores how SST affects the job outcomes of FLEs and their interactions with consumers in the current service environment. The first essay is a conceptual paper that overviews the current SST literature and proposes a theoretical framework that draws from the pyramid model and socio-technical system theory (STS). The second essay employs qualitative research methods, such as in-depth interviews …

Dispersion Study Of Metal-Organic Frameworks And Synthesis Of Mof-High-Density Polyethylene Fibers, Sathvika Gondi

Material Science and Engineering Theses - Archive

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are a highly versatile class of materials with a wide range of potential applications in gas storage, separation, catalysis, drug delivery, and sensing. The ability to tailor the properties and functionalities of MOFs by varying the organic linkers and inorganic nodes makes them highly attractive for a wide range of applications. The unique properties of MOFs also make them promising materials for fundamental studies in materials science and chemistry. The current investigation focuses on the dispersion study of MOFs and the synthesis of MOF-Polymer composites. The dispersions of MOFs in various organic solvents like ethanol, isopropanol, tetrahydrofuran, …

Value Of Mechanical Design In Buildings Proper Information Inputs System Creation 3-D Modeling, Johnathan Noe Vasquez

2023 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Mechanical design of a building is a crucial discipline that focuses on the comfortability of the occupants of the building. Functionality of proper systems within the building is essential in building success and proper design. Specifically, knowing the factors that affect HVAC design is crucial in designing properly. In addition to this knowledge, one should gain expertise in a program that can generate loads based on a mechanical standpoint. After loads are generated, the information provided is used to select specific equipment that can satisfy the design required. This is where manufacturers are researched, and data is compared to view …

Evolution Of Dallas's Old City Hall, Alexia Diermeier

2023 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

This thesis analyzes the preservation of Old City Hall in Dallas, Texas, as its functionality has evolved over time. It evaluates its significance as a monument to Dallas's early municipal government and civic pride, and as a prime example of early 1900s public buildings in America. The paper uses case studies of other historic preservation projects, including the 1976 Old Supreme Court and Old Senate Chamber in Washington D.C., the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland, and the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney, Texas. The thesis compares the preservation processes of Old City Hall with these landmarks and provides …

The Rise And Fall Of High-Profile Issues In Modern American Politics, Taylor Thanh Huynh

2023 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

New controversies in America’s current political environment signal increased social uncertainty. By looking at changing public interest following a significant political event, this research provides an insight into how high-profile issues affect public awareness, political participation, and substantive views. With a focus on the topic of abortion, the project examines reactions to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision as a case study to determine how high-profile issues impact public attitudes. A multi-method approach with regular opinion polls, entrance polls, exit polls, voter turnout data, news endorsements, and media usage patterns is used to examine …

Genotypic Result Of The Insulin-Like Receptor Gene Knockout In Daphnia Pulex Eb1, Anisa Sarah Kammaz

2023 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)-Cas9 has been used in multiple gene modification studies in various organisms. Daphnia, water fleas, are used in ecological studies due to their ability to sense and respond to environmental factors. Their quick life cycles make them prime candidates for gene modification and evolutionary studies. In our experiment, Daphnia pulex EB1 was used in the knockout of the Insulin-like Receptor gene via CRISPR-Cas9 due to its effect on dwarfism in humans and developmental disorders in mice. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) sequencing was done to compare the EB1 gene of interest to the PA42 reference …

Rethinking The Civil Protection Of Patients From Misleading Pharmaceutical Marketing Under Saudi Law, Muflih Saud Almughyirah

Maurer Theses and Dissertations

The effect of pharmaceutical marketing on individuals is a universal concern. It can influence patients' health and wealth. Patients, as well as their prescribing medical doctors, have been targeted by such marketing through different means. Many patients are unaware of their position as the most vulnerable party in this context and how these promotional strategies affect their physicians' decisions. When pharmaceutical marketing includes false, misleading, or otherwise negligent statements, patients become potential victims. This research addresses patients' civil protection from misleading pharmaceutical marketing under Saudi law. The study addresses four crucial aspects of patient protection: (i) ex-ante government regulations, (ii) …

Effects Of Parental Alcoholism On Adolescent Development, Diana Michel-Gonzales

Whittier Scholars Program

Studies assessed the magnitude and specificity of parental alcoholism as a risk factor for internalizing symptomatology, externalizing symptomatology, and alcohol and drug use in adolescence. The results show that alcoholism is a moderate risk factor. The outcome measure has a different risk specificity. The risk of alcoholism is caused by parental psychopathology and environmental stress. The father's alcoholism was a risk for alcohol use that was beyond the effects of stress and family turmoil. The children of problem drinkers are affected by externalities. When designing and financing addiction treatment programs, long-term consequences of alcohol misuse should be taken into account. …

Consumers' Perceptions Of Digital Privacy In The United States And Japan, Destiny Randle

Whittier Scholars Program

The purpose of my study is to explore the contours of contemporary consumer privacy protections derived from legislation, regulations and publicly available company policies as a way to get a better understanding of how consumer data is protected. A few examples ranging from company-based consumer protection in the United States to data breaches in Japan will be explored and examined. Finally, this paper includes a comparative survey of consumer perceptions and concerns related to personal data privacy in the U.S. and Japan. As a way to assess the degree to which digital privacy and personal data breaches have adversely influenced …