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ItemOpen Access
Multivariate Analysis of Southern Utah Water Quality
(2024-04-19) Velasquez, Angel; Hasan, Md Sazib
This study evaluates meteorological and chemical characteristics of water quality within the broader Southern Utah region. Multivariate statistical techniques will determine which water quality attributes are most reflective of water quality and which monitoring stations require routine monitoring. Metrics included are water flow, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, and more describe water quality. Principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical correlation analysis (CCA) will be performed on data from the US Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System (NWIS). PCA will determine the most relevant features to describe water quality, while CCA will investigate the relationship between meteorological and chemical traits. Four water sites will have their variation examined using these techniques to determine which sites best highlight variation in water quality. In addition, kernel PCA will be compared to PCA to examine which technique reduces the dimensionality of the data while keeping the most influential explanatory variables. PCA and CCA will prepare large water quality datasets for future time-series analysis techniques to model the data to explain future trends.
ItemOpen Access
The Joseph Smith Papers Digital Archive on Mormon-Missouri Communities, 1833-1838: A Rhetorical Analysis Using Kenneth Burke's Theory of Identification
(2024-05) Huntsman Baldwin, Rachel Kay
At the culmination of a twenty-two year project and twenty-seven-volume printed work, The Joseph Smith Papers digital archive or website digitally published all of Joseph Smith’s extant documents for the first time on an open-access website. The website is a rich information infrastructure for scholars and researchers in technical writing and digital rhetoric and other academic fields. Using Kenneth Burke’s theory of identification as method, this paper examines how a sense of connection is fostered among different users of the digital archive, and how rhetorical devices guide users in understanding the historical context of its archived materials. The findings suggest four central themes that promote connection for different users of The Joseph Smith Papers digital archive: a sense of recognition, ownership, user determination, and persuasion. Additionally, this paper discusses the rhetorical devices of the website that guide users in understanding the artifacts’ historical context.
ItemOpen Access
The Influence of Organic Amendments on the Heat Capacity of Soils
(2024-04-19) Mclennan, Lizzy; Ashby, Trevor; Chilom, Gabriela
The heat capacity of soil is an important thermal property influencing heat storage and transfer, impacting greenhouse gas emissions, seed germination, plant transpiration, and contaminant dynamics. This study explores the modification of soil heat capacity following the incorporation of organic amendments, aimed at enriching soil organic matter and enhancing soil health and fertility. We specifically investigate the changes in soil heat capacity before and after the addition of various organic amendments, such as humic acids and biochar. The excess heat capacity was determined by the difference between measured values against theoretical predictions based on the mixture rule. This approach facilitated a comparative analysis of the magnitude of excess heat capacity across four distinct soil samples, each treated with different amendments.
ItemOpen Access
Complex Responses of Desert Soil Properties to Organic Amendment Applications
(2024-04-19) Maclennan, Lizzy; Ashby, Trevor; Chilom, Gabriela
This study explores the influence of organic amendment on the water retention and wettability of desert soils, which are traditionally challenged by limited water availability. The water retention was assessed by gravimetric methods and the wettability changes were assessed by using the contact angle and ethanol droplet methods. The aggregation and morphology of the soils was examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Application of organic amendments to desert soils altered their wettability, water retention, and aggregation in a manner not directly tied to the quantity of organic material incorporated. These alterations are indicative of complex soil-organic matter interactions that transcend mere carbon addition and underscore a multifaceted response of desert soils to organic amendments, which cannot be predicted by the amount of organic carbon alone.
ItemOpen Access
Race in Psychotherapy
(2024-04-19) Rassmussen, Braxton
Scientists have recently begun critically analyzing how racial stereotypes and implicit bias factor into medical treatments and diagnoses of mental conditions. Psychological concepts and theories have developed and changed rapidly over the last century, as have society’s perceptions of race. In the last three decades, awareness has grown that racial issues as a whole have insufficient research in how they factor into the field of psychotherapy. There is a broad range of ways in which race appears in counseling settings. For example, some researchers explore what prior expectations accompany members of differing races (Aubochon-Endsley et al., 2014). Additionally, several examine whether the topic of race even comes up in therapy and, if so, what effect that has on the efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions (Gushue & Constantine, 2007). As I aim to pursue a career in practicing psychotherapy, I am looking to deepen my understanding of the experiences of people of color in mental health settings in order to further hone my ability to tailor my counseling to these populations in the future. Given these factors and my future goals, my research question is, “How do issues of race influence the efficacy of psychotherapy?†I answer this question through peer-reviewed articles that help frame the issue in context. The result will be a short literature review.