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The role of social connection in visual engagement with a climate change museum exhibit
No full texthonors thesisCollege of Social & Behavioral SciencePsychologyMonika LohaniWith climate change being declared a global crisis, awareness of its adverse effects is increasingly critical. Public awareness of the effects of climate change is a crucial step towards implementing solutions for the climate crisis, and museum exhibits provide an effective means of distributing this climate change knowledge to the public. Therefore, maximizing visitor engagement with presented information is essential for spreading updates on climate change challenges and solutions. This study focused on social connection as a factor that can influence visual engagement and information intake in a museum exhibit environment. The potential link between social connection and visual engagement was tested by examining adult visitors to a climate change exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Utah. In total, there were 50 groups of between two and five visitors who came to the museum together and already knew each other socially (such as friends, romantic partners, etc.). One visitor in each group wore a mobile eye tracker as they explored the exhibit. Visual engagement was measured by the total time spent fixated on relevant areas of the climate exhibit. After completing the exhibit, visitors answered self-report questions about the quality of their social connection with their group members. The self-reported social connection was rated as very good by most participants and showed little variability. Non-significant associations between social connection and visual attention were found, and low variability may have impacted these results. However, the social connection type showed an interesting pattern with the presence or absence of romantic partners predicting visual attention. The follow-up analyses revealed that visitors who visited the museum with a romantic partner paid less attention to climate change-relevant information overall, and specifically to the positive areas of the climate change exhibit. These findings suggest that visiting the exhibit with a romantic partner present, rather than with other social connections, may be detrimental to visually engaging with the climate change exhibit. Further work is needed to explore the underlying mechanism that may lead to differences across social connection types and efforts that can be taken to overcome any negative impacts on engaging with climate change exhibits
Perimeter distributions of Jovian clouds
No full texthonors thesisCollege of Mines & Earth SciencesAtmospheric SciencesTimothy GarrettThis thesis aims to analyze the perimeter distribution of clouds on Jupiter and compare the results to those of DeWitt et al. (2024). This study analyzes white-reflecting features and blue-absorbing features to detect both high-altitude ice clouds, likely composed of NH3 (Sugiyama et al., 2011), as well as those featuring blue-absorbing chromophores on Jupiter. By analyzing white-reflecting and blue-absorbing features on Jupiter, this study finds a power law slope of β = 1.15±0.15 (white-reflecting features) and β = 0.93±0.11 (blueabsorbing features). These results support previous theories and observations on Earth showing power law distributions of cloud sizes (Garrett et al., 2018; DeWitt et al., 2024). These findings may improve future models for both Earth and other planetary atmospheres by incorporating broader statistical approaches
Mother, daughter, woman: traveling through inhabited roles
No full texthonors thesisCollege of HumanitiesWriting & Rhetoric StudiesKendall GerdesMother, Daughter, Woman: Traveling Through Inhabited Roles is a collection of creative nonfiction essays in the travel writing genre. These essays engage with the idea that women are always in motion, always traveling, by moving into and out of the roles they inhabit and embody in society. Each embraces the ethos of travel: exploration, discovery, observation, and reflection. The accompanying critical introduction articulates how three formative texts, The Book of Margery Kempe, Jamaica Kincaid\u27s A Small Place, and Virginia Woolf\u27s A Room of One\u27s Own are connected over place and time by the concepts of travel writing and through the use of feminist rhetorics. These concepts are then applied to the themes in the creative essay collection to demonstrate how the genre of travel writing is ideally situated for sharing the stories of women
The impact of the United States political climate on zombie film production
No full texthonors thesisCollege of Social & Behavioral SciencePolitical ScienceSteven JohnstonSince the 1960s, zombie films have proliferated across the United States and the world. They have also regularly been used as a vehicle for political commentary. This thesis examines the zombie genre as a form of social engagement with the notion of governmental legitimacy. By examining films produced across several distinct political eras (the Cold War, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, 9/11 and the War on Terror, and Trump-era politics), this thesis argues that zombie films reveal a unique cultural dialogue on the subject of governmental legitimacy, with zombies as a stand-in for a variety of social crises
Geometric morphometric analysis of the Avian lung
No full texthonors thesisSchool of Biological SciencesBiologyColleen FarmerThe avian respiratory system is a unique and incredibly efficient adaptation. Its use of unidirectional airflow throughout nine air sacs makes it a marvel of evolution. Apart from its singular design, its development gives us a glimpse into the life history pressures that molded the ancestral system (West, 2015). Life history, used to describe an organism\u27s survival and reproduction patterns, is highly dependent on respiration. Therefore, if the structural morphology of the respiratory system changes between males and females of the same species, that may indicate unique demands for males and females- and may reveal divergence in life history strategies (Jimenez et al., 2014). This thesis explores the methods used to create a quantitative analysis of the sexual dimorphism in the avian lung. The objective is to see if this morphological difference can possibly be attributed to any sexually selected behavior like crowing or if it can inspire other hypotheses about broader selective pressures in this species. Two chickens, one male and one female, were used in this study. They were CT scanned and geometric morphometrics was used in conjunction with 3D visualization to produce comparative, quantitative data. The graphs that were produced from the analysis show a strong degree of conservation but moderate variability at the junction between the lung and trachea. While our research still needs to be substantiated by larger sample sizes, our preliminary results support our initial hypothesis. There are some promising trends in the initial data that may lead to more sound conclusions
Exploring novel targeted therapy treatments for KRAS-driven invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma
No full texthonors thesisSchool of Biological SciencesBiologyEric SnyderInvasive mucinous adenocarcinoma (IMA), a distinct subtype of lung adenocarcinoma, poses unique challenges for effective treatment due to its genetic complexity and resistance to conventional therapies. This thesis aimed to address these therapeutic challenges by investigating targeted strategies against the genetic drivers of IMA, specifically focusing on KRAS mutations and NKX2-1 loss. Genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) harboring clinically relevant KRAS mutations (G12D and G12C) and conditional NKX2-1 deletion were developed to mimic the pathology observed in human IMA. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses of these models confirmed the critical role of NKX2-1 deletion in driving gastric differentiation and increased tumor burden. Furthermore, in vivo evaluation of novel KRAS inhibitors, MRTX1133 (G12Di) and MRTX1257 (G12Ci), showed significant short-term tumor regression. However, tumors rapidly developed resistance characterized by increased proliferation markers and reactivation of alternate signaling pathways upon cessation of treatment. Complementary in vitro studies using the KRAS-mutant human lung adenocarcinoma cell line, H358, further highlighted the potential effectiveness of combined KRAS and EGFR pathway inhibition to mitigate such resistance. These findings underscore the necessity for sustained, multi-targeted therapeutic strategies specifically tailored to address not only the primary genetic drivers but also the tumor\u27s inherent cellular plasticity and adaptive resistance mechanisms characteristic of IMA
Empowering perimenopausal women: evaluating the impact of menogap on self-efficacy
No full texthonors thesisCollege of NursingNursingLisa Taylor-SwansonMany women report feeling unprepared for the menopausal transition, which can include a wide range of physical, emotional, and social symptoms. MENOGAP is an integrative health education program designed to support women in midlife by increasing menopause-related self-efficacy. Objectives: The goal of this thesis was to evaluate the impact of MENOGAP on participants\u27 self-efficacy in managing menopausal symptoms, as measured by the Perimenopausal Health Self-Efficacy Scale (PHS-ES). Methods: Participants completed the 23-item PHS-ES before and after attending the four-session MENOGAP program. Each item was rated on a 5-point Likert scale, from 1 (not at all confident) to 5 (very confident). Pre- and post-program scores were analyzed using paired t-tests and demographics were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Data from 29 participants (mean age = 50) showed a statistically significant increase in overall self-efficacy scores from pre- to post-intervention (t(28) = 3.41, p = .013). The greatest improvements were observed in confidence in managing emotional symptoms, engaging in physical activity, and communicating with healthcare providers. Conclusions: Participation in MENOGAP was associated with significantly improved menopause-related self-efficacy. These findings suggest the program may be an effective support tool for women navigating perimenopause. Future studies should examine long-term outcomes and include more diverse populations to strengthen generalizability
The effect of the human population on Eurasian brown bear behavior in Northeast Turkey
No full texthonors thesisSchool of Biological SciencesBiologyÇağan H. ŞekercioğluIt is important to understand how large carnivores respond to human activities in planning effective conservation efforts. In this study, we examine the impact of two specific types of anthropogenic disturbances-human contact and vehicle presence-on the frequency and temporal dynamics of visits of Eurasian brown bears (Ursus arctos) in a rural landscape of Northeast Turkey. In accordance with camera trap records collected at locations that vary in levels of human disturbance, the research concludes that bears exhibit temporal avoidance responses that vary based on the nature of the disturbance. The findings show that bears exhibit variable responses to certain kinds of human disturbance and demonstrate a high level of behavioral plasticity. Instead of avoiding all human contact consistently, bears seem to have the ability to modify their behavior in terms that are specific to the context. These results add to a growing body of literature highlighting the value of distinguishing among multiple types of anthropogenic impact in evaluating the coexistence of humans and wildlife. By knowing when and why bears alter their activity, conservation measures can be enhanced to reduce conflict and enhance coexistence in human-modified landscapes
Devotional labor: a digital analysis of 250 Aachen pilgrim badges
No full texthonors thesisCollege of Fine ArtsArt & Art HistoryMeekyung MacMurdieA digital analysis of 250 surviving badges from the Aachen shrine in Germany chronicles a centuries-long dialogue between material form and spiritual longing. Produced between the 13th and 16th centuries, these badges were not mere souvenirs or passive vessels of divinity, but devotional instruments shaped by pilgrims\u27 desires. Divided into two sections, Part One, Digital Analysis of 250 Aachen Pilgrim Badges, harnesses the precision of Tableau to trace and visualize patterns across date, discovery location, size, cast type, shape, mirror, and iconography- exposing a clear trajectory from simple, generic designs to increasingly complex, site-specific expressions of worship. Part Two, Devotional Labor and The Articulation of Divinity, builds on these findings to challenge the prevailing interpretation of badges as contact relics, arguing instead that their sacred efficacy necessitated devotional labor. Through Gothic microarchitecture, reflective mirrors, and atemporal iconography, Aachen badges create liminal spaces between materialized faith and divine communion. Here, within pewter frames, time collapses, distance dissolves, and the pilgrim, through participatory worship, touches eternity, articulating an enduring and intimate encounter with the divine long after the physical journey has ended
Unusual games for unusual people
No full textjournal articleThe games you\u27ll experience in this expo come from an interdisciplinary course, in which we thought about games from a theoretical angle, and then we put those theories into practice - by playing all sorts of games, tinkering with games, and designing and playtesting our own games. During this course, we explored some central themes in the philosophy and aesthetics of games and play. To help contextualize these games, here are the core themes we explored