Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationThis dissertation explores the effects of early-life parental death upon an offspring's later-life risk of suicide, major depression and substance abuse. By situating the question within a biopsychosocial life-course framework, we find that this association may lead to secondary stressors, be moderated by familial vulnerabilities, and occur in tandem with other early-life stressors. The study offers innovative, creative, and substantial contributions to the current literature on early parental death and later behavioral health by (1) disentangling social from biological mechanisms by using remarriage of surviving parent as a proxy for social integration, (2) testing for differential vulnerability by investigating the moderating effects of familial suicide history, and (3) constructing and testing the influence of a new measure called the Utah demographic childhood adverse exposures (DECADE) scale. The findings suggest that early-life stress, especially parental death, may impact later-life behavioral health, and the association is moderated by other contextual factors. The dissertation further demonstrates the utility of demographic pedigree databases for transdisciplinary studies of behavioral health, and proposes innovative quantitative measurements that might be utilized for future life-course studies

Review: The Journal of Dramaturgy, volume 23, issue 1

Contents include: Editor\u27s Note; Dramaturgy and Risk in Pakistan; A conversation about The Process of Dramaturgy; Emancipating Dramaturgy: From Pedagogy to Psychagogy; Directing Like a Dramaturg: The Art of Being a Whale. Issue editors: Sydney Cheek-O\u27Donnell, Debra Cardona, Janine Sobeckhttps://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/lmdareview/1045/thumbnail.jp

Is Utah's Relatively Low COVID-19 Death Rate Due to its Younger Population?

policy briefResearch Brief, July 202

A Literary (Techno)science

Beginning in the late 1970s, Finland’s Erkki Kurenniemi (1941-2017) actively labored to archive every possible aspect of his life. He took photos, made videos, and collected his tram tickets, receipts, body hairs, etc. Kurenniemi believed that within the next forty years, computer technoscience will have advanced sufficiently that it could be programmed to interpret the data of his archive and—on his 107th birthday, 10 July 2018—resurrect his consciousness. For Kurenniemi, this project was an experiment in the realms of neuroscience and artificial intelligence. However, it can also be seen as an experiment in aesthetics, or in what Jacques Rancière calls the “aesthetic regime” of art—an aesthetic-political historical framework imbued with the dynamics of democracy, where “everything speaks.” This article reframes Kurenniemi’s work within the aesthetic regime of art to draw attention to the “silent speech” and “aestheticunconscious” (Rancière) of the work and what is the literary nature of Kurenniemi’s experiments with (techno)science

The Utah Demographic and Economic Model

reportPeople require a view of the future in order to act with purpose. A coherent and comprehensible picture of a likely future is the foundation for consistent planning. Governments plan investments in infrastructure based on the future expected population of an area. Entrepreneurs invest in industries that are anticipated to hold the most promise for the success of their innovations. Medical providers plan facilities, programs, and research based on the future size and characteristics of the population. There is a widespread need for data about the future economy and population in order to make informed decisions. Populations and economies are interrelated and complex, and the future is inherently uncertain. A well-specified population model can illuminate these interrelationships, and facilitate solid analysis and projections. The ideal model distills the most essential features of a complicated phenomenon in a way that is useful, reproducible, and understandable. These types of models are challenging to develop and never perfect, but also indispensable for well-designed policies

Utilization of 8630 Steel in Golf Club Irons for Improved Performance

TaylorMade Golf Company currently uses a two-piece construction of a forged 4140 steel face and investment cast 8620 steel body for P790 golf club irons. The cast body is welded to the forged face and then the assembly is austenitized, quenched, and tempered to form tempered martensite. It is proposed that a material substitution of 8630 steel for 8620 steel will lead to an increase in strength with a nominal tradeoff in ductility due to the 0.1 weight percent increase in carbon. To evaluate the yield strength, tensile strength, and ductility, tensile testing was conducted on cast 8620 and 8630 steel samples that were tempered at 400°C, 430°C, and 460°C. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were also used to investigate the microstructures and fracture surfaces of the tensile bars to identify any processing defects. Results indicated that 8630 steel quenched and tempered at 400°C had an average increase of 95.6 MPa in yield strength above the currently used 8620 steel quenched and tempered at 430°C; however, 8630 steel quenched and tempered at 400°C had an average percent elongation of 4.27, whereas 8620 steel quenched and tempered at 430°C showed an average percent elongation of 7.14. The increase in carbon content from 8620 steel to 8630 steel was determined to have a statistically significant increase in yield strength with a nominal tradeoff in ductility. In addition, the increase in carbon content also led to an increased tendency to observe brittle fracture in the steel tensile samples

Utah's Increasing Diversity: Population Projections by Race/Ethnicity

Repor

Fertility in Utah since the Great Recession: the new normal or a pregnant pause?

ReportUtah is currently experiencing strong economic growth and has clearly recovered from the Great Recession; however, it appears the recession has left a lingering imprint on the state's demographics. Starting in 2008, fertility rates in the state began to significantly decline and those declines continue. While Utah continues to have the highest fertility rate, youngest population, earliest age at first marriage, and largest household size in the nation, the shifts that began in 2008 may indicate a new trend in fertility rates for the state. We conclude Utah's lower fertility rate is likely not a pregnant pause, but rather a new normal. This report includes data and analysis on various aspects of fertility, external factors that may affect fertility rates, and potential policy implications for the broader population