Digital Commons Network^™

Discovery Of The Yellow-Bellied Marmot (Marmota Flaviventris) In The Jemez Mountains, New Mexico: Examining Competing Hypotheses For Range Extension, Jennifer K. Frey, Erik A. Beever, Charles D. Hathcock, Robert R. Parmenter, Marie L. Westover

Western North American Naturalist

The yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) reaches the southern edge of its geographic range in New Mexico, where it is known from the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo Mountains. We provide a synopsis of the geographic range of M. flaviventris in New Mexico and report 5 recent records from the Jemez Mountains, Los Alamos and Sandoval Counties. Of the 5 records from the Jemez Mountains, 3 were obtained at high-elevation sites (>2690 m) during routine fieldwork and while conducting surveys for the American pika (Ochotona princeps), and 2 were from a residential area at relatively …

“All That Was Important In Life”: Toward A Compassionate Anthropocene In Tracy K. Smith’S “Watershed”, Isaac B. Robertson

BYU English Symposium

In Tracy K. Smith’s “Watershed,” the Pulitzer-prize winner and current Poet Laureate of America juxtaposes accounts of ecological violence with individual eschatological experiences. Having been “powerfully compelled and disturbed by a Nathaniel Rich article about chemical pollution that appeared in the New York Times Magazinein January 2016,”¹Smith knew that she wanted to compose a found poem using lines of the report, although she didn’t know at the time what form that would take. Later, she “had the idea of marrying the facts from that article . . . with the narratives of near-death-experience (NDE) survivors.” Yet while …

The New Woman In Embryo: Masculine Women In Victorian Novels, Kayla Merrick

BYU English Symposium

The Victorian era is marked by many socio-economic reforms, leading the way to greater female freedom in—and from—the home, culminating in the form of the New Woman. The struggles of women under a system which repressed any desire to be anything outside the dictated mold of femininity before, reform by reform, they were given more freedom such way is recorded in Victorian Literature through the trope of masculine female characters. Authors female and male used “masculine” traits on their female characters to emphasize her humanity—and her struggles under a system which denied it— as a tool to promote reform. Wuthering …

Black Fatherhood In America Through The Lens Of Contemporary Memoir, Christian Allred

BYU English Symposium

Memoir provides an appropriate space in which to see contemporary black fathers in America. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Ordinary Light by Tracy Smith, and Negroland by Margo Jefferson show different approaches to the dilemma of black fathers--protecting a victimized child when one is a victim oneself. Each memoir challenges pervading stereotypes of "absent black fathers," by showing fathers standing between their children and racism as long as possible before allowing the child to confront race on its own terms. Their silent stoicism and suffering on behalf of their children marks a fatherly love often unseen. Memoir …

The Gothic And The Gross: Frankenstein And His Friends’ Attractiveness To Children, Rebecca Mckee

BYU English Symposium

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein sent shockwaves through nineteenth century society with the horror of her story. In the 200 years since, stage and film adaptations have pushed the limits of each generation’s tolerance for terrifying images. Along the way, the Frankenstein creature has undergone a metamorphosis from monstrous threat to beloved playmate of even the littlest children. From comic books for teenagers to toys and cartoons targeted at toddlers, Frankenstein is a beloved character. My paper will trace the evolution of Frankenstein’s creature from a danger to society to the loveable goofball with green skin so well known today. I refute …

No-Man’S . . . Or Women’S-Land: Ecological Power Over Human Identity In The Things They Carried, Sam Jacob

BYU English Symposium

Elements of Vietnam’s ecology in Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried dismantle former understandings of gender and racial identity. While traditional perceptions of wartime ecologies hold these spaces among the most heavily decimated, damaged, and disfigured on earth, the opposite occurs in O’Brien’s Vietnam. Observing how a land burdened by the destruction of a human war dominates these human forms of identity raises interesting questions regarding the level of control that humans possess over their own identity.

While critical discourse investigating landscapes and the environment in The Things They Carried primarily construe these spaces as mere symbolic topographies of terror …

“To Die Upon A Kiss”: Spirit-Body Gender Duality In Two Shakespeare Plays, Dane Whitaker

BYU English Symposium

Spirit and body become estranged through the dramatic deaths of Shakespeare’s characters in The Merchant of Venice and its thematic descendant Othello. Scholars of the latter play have recognized the central role of gender, but neglect to follow the trajectory of these plays from unstable sexual identity to consequent spirit-body dissonance. According to Phyllis Rackin’s studies of Elizabethan ideology, both foreign origins and desire for women jeopardized masculinity. As an alien living in Venetian society, Shylock the Jew (created in the 1590s) prefigures the more developed, central character of Othello the Moor (created between 1601-03). Both characters are destroyed, …

Deforestation In The Amazon Rainforest, Brandon Wegrowski

Ballard Brief

Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest represents a critical issue in our modern world, as it is the root cause of many other problems that affect the entire planet. The Amazon's deforestation is particularly relevant because it has been a chronic issue that has plagued the region for decades. Some of the key contributing factors include cattle ranching, infrastructure development such as roads, the building of many large dams, and small-scale subsistence farming. Consequences of deforestation in the Amazon include a significant loss of species and their habitats, a disturbance of indigenous peoples and their health, an increase in CO2 emissions, …

Study Bibles: An Introduction For Latter-Day Saints, Joshua M. Sears

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

Latter-day Saints revere the Bible as “the bedrock of all Christianity” and are instructed to feast upon its teachings regularly.²Although Latter-day Saints appreciate so much about the Bible, many struggle with some of its language and its deeply contextual messages. Fortunately, special editions known as study Bibles can help make the Old and New Testaments much clearer. There are many kinds of study Bibles, but for present purposes we will define them as an edition of the Bible featuring a modern English translation and sophisticated, context-focused study aids—including book introductions, footnotes, and appendixes—that provide textual, historical, cultural, literary, …

When Good Girls Go Bad (Or Do They?): Nymphomania And Lycanthropy In Verga’S “La Lupa”, Ilona Klein

Faculty Publications

At some point during early development, most children are afraid of the imaginary wolf under the bed or the wolf that hides in the closet at night. Traditional bedtime stories such as Little Red Riding Hood certainly do not help assuage such fears: these are atavistic dreads, similar to being scared of the dark or of death.1 In childhood culture, the wolf represents the “other,” the “furry non-human,” and almost always the viciously violent. Later, as adults, the occasional dream of wolverine violence, or of human transformation into a wolf (a lycanthropic aversion) might very well create anxiety and apprehension.2 …

Population Trends Of The Native Fish Assemblage In Bonita Creek, Arizona, Usa, George N. Zaimes, David Arthun, Vasilios Liordos

Western North American Naturalist

The protection of riparian zones is critical for biodiversity conservation. The exclusion of human activities and invasive nonnative fish species have been used as measures to protect vulnerable native fish populations in Bonita Creek, Graham County, Arizona. The abundance of 5 native fish species, during 2005–2016, and mesohabitat proportions, during 2011–2016, were estimated at 4 sites to assess the effectiveness of these conservation measures. Interannual variation in numbers was high for all the species, with the speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus) being the most abundant. The speckled dace significantly increased at one of the sites; the Sonora sucker ( …

Observations On Habitat Use Of Age-0 Rio Grande Blue Sucker (Cycleptus Sp. Cf. Elongatus), Stephanie D. George, Amanda K. Pinion, Kevin W. Conway, Thomas C. Heard, Joshuah S. Perkin

Western North American Naturalist

During April 2018, we collected 23 age-0 (33–55 mm total length) Rio Grande Blue Sucker (Cycleptus sp. cf. elongatus) from 3 locations in the Rio Grande near the confluence with the Rio Conchos where the species is rarely reported. Age-0 Rio Grande Blue Suckers occurred in habitats ranging from 6 to 81 cm deep, with current velocities ranging from 0 to 1.03 m/s over silt, sand, gravel, cobble, and bedrock substrates. There was limited evidence for greater detection in slower-velocity habitats with bedrock, silt, and sand substrates, but the habitats we sampled were not unique from habitats sampled …

Decoherence Of Open Systems Of Coupled Oscillators And Qubits, Kevin Randles, Jean-François S. Van Huele, Manuel Berrondo

Student Works

In this paper we develop a method of solving the dynamics of minimal open systems of coupled oscillators and qubits. Extracting the time-dependence of the system from its underlying Lie algebra of operators we find the time evolution operator, allowing us to explore the evolution of various initial states of the system and environment. For these initial states we find the linear entropy, a measure of decoherence of the system, and visualize the dynamics using Husimi functions and Bloch spheres for oscillator and qubit systems, respectively. We find that increasing the interaction of the system with its environment results in …

First Reported Case Of Diphallia In Corynorhinus Townsendii, Nathan W. Fuller, Catherine G. Haase, Kirk A. Silas, Sarah H. Olson, Liam P. Mcguire

Western North American Naturalist

We describe the first reported case of diphallia in a bat, Corynorhinus townsendii, captured during fall swarming at a hibernaculum in northern Utah, USA. Upon examination, we determined that one phallus was functional, as evidenced by production of urine, while the secondary phallus appeared to be overgrown with skin. A review of the medical literature relevant to diphallia suggests that this is a case of pseudodiphallia with a bifid shaft. We hypothesize that this morphological deformity likely has a low impact on the survival of this individual but may act as a physical barrier to copulation. To our knowledge, this …

Nature And The Poet: A Comparision Of The Poetry Of Joseph Freiherr Von Eichendorff And Kobayashi Issa, Jane Cox

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the bearing that metaphysical philosophy about nature has on two late 18^th century and early 19^th century poets. Although living in different hemispheres and cultures, the works of Romantic poet Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff and haikai Kobayashi Issa both used interactions with nature to illustrate their own personal experiences. However, their differing metaphysical beliefs concerning nature impacted their presentation of their experiences as well as their experiences themselves. Eichendorff viewed nature as a medium through which the divine can choose to communicate. Nature’s purpose is to act as a vehicle for the divine. His descriptions …

Oxytocin Receptor Genotype And Serotonin Transporter Genotype As Mediators Of Social Behavior: A Rhesus Macaque Model, Ryno Kruger

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Studies suggest that sociality plays a major role in physical and mental health, with loneliness, hostility, and aggression contributing to ill health. Genetic variation functions as a foundational basis for positive sociality, as well as antisocial behaviors such as social alienation and aggression. It is widely believed that the central serotonin and oxytocin systems are two neurotransmitter systems that play important roles in sociality and antisocial behavior. In this study, we investigate the genetic impact of the serotonin transporter gene (SERT) and a recently discovered oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene on social isolation and antisocial behavior using a rhesus monkey model …

The Battle Of The Sexes: Montagu V. Swift, Madison Savoie

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Two of the most interesting “guardians” of eighteenth-century sociocultural standards were the satirists Jonathan Swift and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. Swift is remembered by scholars as one of the “greatest prose satirists in the history of English Literature,” but Montagu, until recent decades, has been less well-known. This thesis will look at the satirical poetic dialogue between the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Swift and the Lady Mary Wortley Montagu and provide insights into the sociocultural dynamics of gender in eighteenth-century British print life as revealed by the individual texts.

Salem Belles, Succubi, And The Scarlet Letter: Transatlantic Witchcraft And Gothic Erotic Affect, Sylvia Cutler

Theses and Dissertations

In order to reconcile the absence of sexually deviant witch figures (succubae, demonic women, etc.) within the formation of American national literature in the nineteenth century with the fantastic elements found in European variations on the gothic, my thesis aims to demonstrate transatlantic variants of erotic signifiers attached to witch figures in nineteenth-century gothic fiction and mediums across national traditions. I will begin by tracing the transatlantic and historical impact of Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger’s Malleus Maleficarum—an early modern handbook of sorts used widely in witchcraft inquisitions—on Early American witch trials, specifically where its influence deviates from a sexualized …

"Queen Of Kings": Masculinity And Femininity In The Visual Rhetoric Of Cleopatra Vii And Augustan Distortions Thereof, Allen Alexander Kendall

Theses and Dissertations

To address every aspect in which Cleopatra VII asserted her right to rule and maintain the favor of her own subjects and of Rome would be far too large a task for anything less than a book-length treatment. Rather than attempt to address multiple issues, this thesis addresses just one aspect of Cleopatra's political strategy to visualize her legitimacy as ruler: namely a combination of masculine and feminine elements in her iconography. This thesis will then follow the same themes in elements of Cleopatra's visual rhetoric was seized upon by the poets of Augustan Rome, who used it to the …

Sex Differences In Ethanol Modulation Of Dopamine Release In The Mesolimbic Reward System, Mandy Parsons

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to synthesize previous studies that have shown sex differences in response to drugs of abuse, specifically cocaine and alcohol. These differences have been noted through the study of behavior, nitric oxide levels in the medial amygdala, and dopamine release within the mesolimbic system. Importantly, it has been consistently found that these differences seem to correlate with the changing hormonal environment produced by the estrus cycle in females. Furthermore, this thesis examines new research on how the estrus cycle modulates dopamine release within the reward circuit through the utilization of fast scan cyclic voltammetry and microdialysis techniques. A …

The Investigation Of Secondary Particle Formation Initiated By Non-Prototypical Sources And The Role Of Amines In The Atmosphere, Emily Burrell

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a collection of works that investigate non-prototypical sources leading to new particle formation in the atmosphere. Particles play a major role in atmospheric chemistry. For example, particles are a component of smog and are commonly found in high concentrations under conditions of atmospheric inversions. In order to reconcile the difference between measured and modeled particle concentrations new mechanisms from non-prototypical sources for particle formation need to be determined. Formation of particles has frequently been modeled using classical nucleation theory (CNT). The first step in CNT is the nucleation step where molecular clusters form. In a second step, …

"Camouflaging" In Women With Autistic Traits: Measures, Mechanisms, And Mental Health Implications, Jonathan S. Beck

Theses and Dissertations

Autistic traits are associated with frequent psychological distress and everyday functional challenges. Some individuals with autistic traits “camouflage” these traits during social interactions by effortfully engaging in “typical” social behaviors. Camouflaging seems to be especially common in autistic girls and women. Emerging evidence proposes a role for camouflaging behaviors in poorer mental health and daily functioning. Furthermore, camouflaging efforts may delay receipt of a proper diagnosis and access to appropriate mental health care. Despite their clinical significance, camouflaging efforts remain difficult to quantify, and the mechanisms and impacts of camouflaging are poorly understood. This study aimed to compare multiple methods …

Mechanoreceptor Activation In The Treatment Of Drug-Use Disorders: Mechanism And Outcome, Kyle Bills

Theses and Dissertations

The therapeutic benefits attributed to activation of peripheral mechanoreceptors are poorly understood. There is growing evidence that mechanical stimulation modulates substrates in the supraspinal central nervous system (CNS) that are outside the canonical somatosensory circuits. This work demonstrates that activation of peripheral mechnoreceptors via mechanical stimulation (MStim) is sufficient to increase dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), alter neuron firing rate in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and increase membrane translocation of delta opioid receptors (DORs) in the NAc. Further, we demonstrate that these effects are dependent on DORs and acetylcholine receptors. Additionally, MStim can block neuronal markers of …

Simulation Framework And Potential Field Relocation For Systems Of Shared Autonomous Vehicles, Landon Blaine Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Shared autonomous vehicles present a significant opportunity to change the way that urban mobility is viewed by society. By providing a shared mobility platform at a cost lower than has previously been obtainable there are significant possibilites to enable a new era of mobility for consumers. This opportunity, however, comes with significant risks in the form of emissions and increased road usage. Understanding how the risks and benefits of shared autonomous vehicles can be balanced is crucial to be able to adequately prepare for their introduction. One of the primary ways to understand the interplay between the risks and benefits …

The Neglected Facsimile: An Examination And Comparative Study Of Facsimile No. 3 Of The Book Of Abraham, Quinten Zehn Barney

Theses and Dissertations

Facsimile No. 3 of the Book of Abraham contains parallels to other Egyptian throne scenes found elsewhere, which fact has led many to pass Facsimile No. 3 off as commonplace. However, the lack of a broad comparative study examining these types of scenes in their varying contexts has rendered most conclusions regarding Facsimile No. 3 superficial at best. Hugh Nibley was perhaps the first to notice this problem, arguing that "The great abundance of pictures of the Facsimile No. 3 variety calls for the widest possible comparative study. In a case like this the student's first obligation is to compare, …

The Effect Of Subglottic Stenosis On The Aerodynamic, Acoustical, And Vibratory Output Of Synthetic Vocal Fold Models, Benjamin Allen Hilton

Theses and Dissertations

There are many conditions and diseases that affect voice production. One of these, subglottic stenosis (SGS), is characterized by a narrowing of the trachea near the cricotracheal junction. SGS causes dyspnea (labored breathing) and frequently surgery is necessary to eliminate the airway obstruction. SGS is also believed to adversely affect voice quality. While significant research has been conducted to study the effect of SGS on breathing, relatively few studies concerning its effect on voice production have been performed. The purpose of this research was to provide quantitative results concerning the predicted effects of SGS on vocal fold (VF) vibration and …

Significance Of The Rates Of Atmospheric Deposition Around Utah Lake And Phosphorus-Fractionation Of Local Soils, Joshua Glen Reidhead

Theses and Dissertations

Eutrophic Utah Lake receives a large nutrient load from a variety of sources, includingtreated wastewater discharges, runoff and tributaries, recycling from bottom sediments andAtmospheric Deposition (AD). AD was the focus of this study and was comprised of twocomplementary parts. First was a study of nitrogen and phosphorus depositions from theatmosphere, and second was a study of phosphorous as contained in soils near Utah Lake viafractionation methods.The soil samples were found to contain approximately 1,000 mg-P/kg soil for totalphosphorus (TP). A separate phosphorus (P) fractionation gave slightly higher values, excludingthe residual P, we are 95% confident that one gram of sample …

A Quasi-Experimental Study Of The Effect Of Experience Staging Techniques On Engagement, Emerson Ferrell Watanabe

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of experience staging techniques (personalization through co-creation and multisensory stimuli) on engagement level. This study also explores the possible contribution of experience staging techniques as practical tools that recreation professionals can use to better engage participants in recreation activities and events. A 2-way univariate ANOVA revealed no significant relationship between the use of co-creative and multisensory stimulating techniques and engagement levels in participants (F (3,200) = .263, p = .826, partial η2 = .004). Practical applications for recreation professionals and further research opportunities are discussed.

Development And Analysis Of 3d-Printed Synthetic Vocal Fold Models, Ryan Gregory Romero

Theses and Dissertations

Vocal fold models are valuable for studying voice production. They provide an alternative method of studying the mechanics of the voice that does not require in vivo experimentation or the use of excised human or animal tissue. In this thesis, a new method of creating vocal fold models through additive manufacturing is described. The purpose of this research was to reduce model fabrication time, to decrease the number of model failures during manufacturing, and to lay the foundation for creating models with more lifelike geometric and material properties. This research was conducted in four stages. First, a suitable silicone additive …

So . . . We're Going For A Walk: A Placed-Based Outdoor Art Experiential Learning Experience, Priscilla Anne Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

Schools in the United States often emphasize making children competitive in a global economy while neglecting the importance of developing citizens who are ecologically responsible. Problems of climate change, loss of biodiversity, mass extinctions and degradation of the natural environment, are often ignored. Some researchers have suggested that children lack unstructured play time in nature, have an increased amount of screen time, lack mindfulness, and are insulated from the natural world. Many children rarely have significant experience with nature's wildness. It is common for people to experience a sense of placelessness in the hyper-mobility of present times where "globalizing" agendas …