Digital Commons Network^™

Well-Being And Physiological Reactivity To Stress, Sheilagh Fox

Theses and Dissertations

Because of the impact of stress on health, it is important to understand the variables that underlie cardiovascular reactivity to stress because it may lead to more focused targets of intervention for helping people to reduce or otherwise better manage their stress. The purpose of the present study was to answer the following questions: does lack of eudaimonic well-being (a combination of psychological and social well-being) predict increased cardiovascular reactivity to stress in a clinically distressed population? And does increased eudaimonic well-being protect against increased cardiovascular reactivity to stress when hedonic well-being (a combination of positive affect and life satisfaction) …

Personal Puzzles: Exploring Meaning In A Printmaking Workshop, Sally Jayne Rydalch

Theses and Dissertations

In an effort to assist self-guided artists in constructing meaning and creativity through the technique of printmaking, the author has compiled a curriculum to engage these artist/students in thoughtful research, discussion, art-making, and critique. In this qualitative case study there are eight participants from age 14 to 79, with varying educational and art experience, who enrolled in a relief print workshop with no recompense other than participation. The particular benefits of learning relief printing are described. The author's goal is exploration of student responses to a curriculum centered around constructing meaning and engaging in introspective and informed discussion. In fostering …

Atonement In The Book Of Mormon And In The New Testament, Noel B. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

New Testament writers consistently and vigorously testify that Jesus Christ has atoned for the sins of all mankind and has provided for their resurrection from the dead. In so doing they point to historical facts, the things he did to accomplish this—to his sufferings in Gethsemane and to his crucifixion and resurrection. Some of these writers also offer explanations or characterizations of that atonement intended to illuminate how it was possible or how it works. The various explanations offered are not identical or even always consistent with each other as they vary somewhat between writers, or sometimes even within the …

The Flowering Plants And Ferns Of Anacapa Island, California, Steve Junak, Ralph Philbrick

Western North American Naturalist

The 3 islets of Anacapa Island, with a combined area of 1.1 mi² (2.9 km²), lie 13 mi (20 km) off the coast of southern California. Historically, each of Anacapa’s islets has been subjected to periodic grazing by sheep, and the eastern islet has also had a sizeable population of introduced rabbits. In spite of these past perturbations, the recovery of the island’s vegetation has been remarkable since sheep removal in 1937. Despite its small size, Anacapa Island supports a surprising diversity of vascular plants, with nearly 200 native taxa from 50 plant families. Twenty-one of these …

News In Lights: The Times Square Zipper And Newspaper Signs In An Age Of Technological Enthusiasm, Dale L. Cressman Phd

Faculty Publications

During the latter half of the nineteenth century, when the telegraph had produced an appetite for breaking news, New York City newspaper publishers used signs on their buildings to report headlines and promote their newspapers. Originally chalkboards were used to post headlines. But, fierce competition led to the use of new technologies, such as magic lantern projections. These and, later, electrically lighted signs, would evoke amazement. In 1928, during an age of invention, The New York Times installed an electric "moving letter" sign on its building in Times Square. Popularly known as "the zipper," the monograph drew significant attention from …

Latent ;Toxoplasma Gondii; Infection Moderates The Association Between The C677t Mthfr Polymorphism And Cognitive Function In U.S. Adults, Andrew Nathan Berrett

Theses and Dissertations

Sufficient blood concentrations of folate and the products from its metabolism arenecessary for several cellular functions. The C677T MTHFR polymorphism, present in over halfof the U.S. population, reduces the efficiency of folate metabolism and has been linked to theonset of multiple psychiatric disorders and cognitive decline. The intracellular parasiteToxoplasma gondii can infect the human brain and is associated with increased prevalence ofpsychiatric disorders and cognitive decline. In vitro studies have found that Toxoplasma gondiimay salvage unmetabolized folate from host cells. Since the C677T MTHFR polymorphism andinfection by Toxoplasma gondii both affect folate metabolism or availability, I used data fromthe third …

Latent Toxoplasma Gondii Infection Moderates The Association Between The C677t Mthfr Polymorphism And Cognitive Function In U.S. Adults, Andrew Nathan Berrett

Theses and Dissertations

Sufficient blood concentrations of folate and the products from its metabolism are necessary for several cellular functions. The C677T MTHFR polymorphism, present in over half of the U.S. population, reduces the efficiency of folate metabolism and has been linked to the onset of multiple psychiatric disorders and cognitive decline. The intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii can infect the human brain and is associated with increased prevalence of psychiatric disorders and cognitive decline. In vitro studies have found that Toxoplasma gondii may salvage unmetabolized folate from host cells. Since the C677T MTHFR polymorphism and infection by Toxoplasma gondii both affect folate metabolism …

Effects Of Feral Horse Herds On Rangeland Plant Communities Across A Precipitation Gradient, Lauren E. Baur, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Melinda D. Smith

Western North American Naturalist

Feral horses are widespread in the western United States, with the majority of feral horse herds found in the Great Basin. There is a federal mandate to manage these herds in order to maintain “ecological balance”; however, understanding of the specific effects of feral horse grazing on rangeland plant communities in this region is incomplete. To address this research gap, we utilized long-term grazing exclosures and fenceline contrasts to evaluate the impacts of feral horses on several plant community variables (diversity, richness, dominance, and biomass) and species composition. Because the effects of grazing can vary with site precipitation and productivity, …

Habitat Use Of The Piñon Mouse (Peromyscus Truei) In The Toiyabe Range, Central Nevada, Aimee L., Eric A. Rickart, Rebecca J. Rowe

Western North American Naturalist

Piñon-juniper woodland is expanding across much of western North America. In the Great Basin, woodland expansion has encroached on native shrublands, threatening species that have close associations with the sagebrush ecosystem. Piñon-juniper woodlands also harbor great biodiversity, and the response of woodland specialists to expansion has been less well studied than that of shrubland specialists. Here, we use occupancy and abundance modeling, accounting for imperfect detection, to assess habitat use of a woodland specialist, the piñon mouse (Peromyscus truei). Our study occurred in the Toiyabe Range of central Nevada, an area P. truei is thought to have recently …

Horizon Scanning: Survey And Research Priorities For Cultural, Historical, And Paleobiological Resources Of Santa Cruz Island, California, Torben C. Rick, Todd J. Braje, Jon M. Erlandson, Kristina M. Gill, Laura Kirn, Lynn Mclaren-Dewey

Western North American Naturalist

Santa Cruz Island contains a remarkable array of cultural and biological resources and a rich tradition of research across the social and biological sciences and humanities. Given dramatic changes in climate forecast in the coming decades of the Anthropocene, however, many questions remain about the sustainability and future of island ecosystems and cultural resources. Here, we focus on a new interdisciplinary initiative, Island Rediscovery (IR), that was the subject of 2 recent workshops. Drawing on a variety of disciplines and approaches, IR seeks to utilize research on Santa Cruz Island’s past and present to help better prepare for the future …

Evaluating The Impact Of An Exotic Plant Invasion On Rodent Community Richness And Abundance, Trinity N. Smith, Eric M. Gese, Bryan M. Kluever

Western North American Naturalist

Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), Russian thistle (Salsola kali), and tall tumblemustard (Sisymbrium altissimum) are nonnative plants widely distributed throughout the desert and shrubsteppe communities of the western United States. The impact of these invaders on plant community structure, form, and function has been well documented, but investigations determining the impacts of this cumulative invasion on terrestrial vertebrates have not been undertaken. Our objective was to assess community-level rodent responses to changes in plant community features, with an emphasis on dominance of invasive plant species. We sampled rodent and plant communities in the Great Basin Desert …

Finding Meaning Through Video Games, Christopher T. Althoff

Student Works

The way video games combine elements from novels and films and then adds the element of interactivity makes them a unique and complicated medium that is difficult to completely understand. Video games create meaning by using and combining the visual and audio elements of Film Theory, the storytelling elements of Narratology, and the interactive elements of Ludology.

Preparing The Next Generation Of Instructional Designers: A Cross-Institution Faculty Collaboration, Patricia J. Slagter Van Tryon, Jason K. Mcdonald, Atsusi Hirumi

Faculty Publications

The ability of novice instructional designers to become skilled problem-solvers, who select and apply appropriate instructional design (ID) models in their work environments, are key competencies generally sought after in introductory ID courses. Yet, the proliferation of ID models, coupled with varied philosophies and practices about how ID is taught may pose challenges for ID educators seeking to prepare the next generation of leaders in the field. With little empirical research or documented best practices, ID educators are left to their own judgment about to how to navigate the practical challenges that can arise in the pursuit of their teaching …

An Invertebrate Ecosystem Engineer Under The Umbrella Of Sage-Grouse Conservation, Jason D. Carlisle, David R. Stewart, Anna D. Chalfoun

Western North American Naturalist

Conservation practitioners often rely on areas designed to protect species of greatest conservation priority to also conserve co-occurring species (i.e., the umbrella species concept). The extent to which vertebrate species may serve as suitable umbrellas for invertebrate species, however, has rarely been explored. Sage-grouse (Centrocercus spp.) have high conservation priority throughout much of the rangelands of western North America and are considered an umbrella species through which the conservation of entire rangeland ecosystems can be accomplished. Harvester ants are ecosystem engineers and play important roles in the maintenance and function of rangeland ecosystems. We compared indices of the abundance …

“Where Have You Vanished?” Aelred Of Rievaulx’S Lamentation On The Death Of Simon, Anna Harrison

Quidditas

In his lamentation on the death of his friend, Simon, Aelred responds to a centuries-long suspicion about grief by mounting an apology for mourning that is in keeping with a larger Cistercian trend. Aelred’s chief preoccupation in the lamentation is, however, to emphasize the productivity of grief, both for the living and for the dead. Aelred associates the desire to reunite with the beloved dead with stimulating the mourner’s desire for heaven as location for the longed-for reunion, and he conceives of the pain associated with bereavement as payment for the sins of the deceased.

Four Blue Windbreakers, Mari Molen

Inscape

Aimee and I wear ours at eight in the morning-alone. The night before, Mom had weaved Aimee's lightning-blonde hair into a tight braid. But now in the morning light, Aimee looks like an albino Klingon or something, random hairs flying from her head like alien antennas. Her light blue windbreaker pulls tight along her bird shoulders as she slides into the passenger seat.

Letter To Myself, Micah Cozzens

Inscape

You did nothing but drool until the age of eight, the same year you finally learned to read. You were-to put it mildly-developmentally challenged. Social interactions were learned painstakingly, almost as painstakingly as piano. All those plunked-out notes over so many afternoons. Your music teacher was nothing short of a saint.

Review Of At Sword’S Point, Part 1: A Documentary History Of The Utah War To 1858; At Sword’S Point, Part 2: A Documentary History Of The Utah War, 1858-1859, Edited By William P. Mackinnon., Brent M. Rogers

Mormon Studies Review

In two hefty and wide-ranging volumes that represent the culmination of some sixty years of dedicated and careful labor, William P. MacKinnon delivers the most thorough investigation into the complex history of the Utah War to date. Readers will have to wade through more than eleven hundred pages of documents and editorial commentary— as well as more than fifty pages of bibliographic data—to realize the benefits of MacKinnon’s sleuthing, but anyone who takes the time to carefully sort through the unexpected turns and intrigue of MacKinnon’s presentation will ultimately be rewarded with a deeper

understanding of a significant federal-territorial conflict …

She Does Not Want: Wartime Rape In Goya's Disasters Of War, Heidi Herrera

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

Although much recent scholarship has been dedicated to Francisco Goya's extensive portrayal of women throughout his career, few have addressed his depiction of sexual violence. This paper seeks to explore the implications of Goya's portrayal of sexual violence within the context of nineteenth-century perceptions of rape in a wartime context.

Minds, Bodies, And Objects, Samuel M. Brown

Mormon Studies Review

As I wander ever more deeply into the semantic labyrinths of early Mormon translation, I find myself confronting ubiquitous objects that matter for more than their mere physicality. Seer stones, interpreters, gold plates, Egyptian papyri, locks of hair, underclothing, and scores more. Mormonism is saturated with such objects, pregnant with what some scholars call “abundance” or “real presence.” Mormons don’t call them “relics,” afraid to conjure (that fraught word!) Catholic altars, corpses, and catacombs. Mormons are no idolaters, so there must be no relics. But we who think academically about Mormons may do well to acknowledge the deep kinship Mormons …

Introduction: Small Means, Great Things, Benjamin Peters, John D. Peters

Mormon Studies Review

Mormonism is a media religion: every contribution to this forum makes this point in some way. Of course, the same could be said of most religions, and yet the Mormon tradition in particular incorporates media. How so?

Full Issue

Mormon Studies Review

No abstract provided.

Uncle Ben, Heather Talbot

Inscape

The day of my Uncle Ben's burial service is hot and humid, typical of early July in Ohio, except for the wind, which blows in like a blast furnace. We arrived at my parents' house late the night before and I am exhausted from the two-day drive from Utah to Ohio. Sweat runs in rivulets down my back as I unstrap my four-weekold baby boy from his car seat. My husband Cory unbuckles our three-year-old daughter and she runs around the car to grab my hand, shy and unsure, especially around so many people. Our older sons, eight and ten, …

The Gospel According To Mormon, Noel B. Reynolds

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Although scholarly investigation of the Book of Mormon has increased significantly over the last three decades, only a tiny portion of that effort has been focused on the theological or doctrinal content of this central volume of LDS scripture. This paper identifies three inclusios that promise definitions of the doctrine or gospel of Jesus Christ and proposes a cumulative methodology to explain how these definitions work. This approach reveals a consistently presented, six-part formula defining “the way” by which mankind can qualify for eternal life. In this way the paper provides a starting point for scholarly examinations of the theological …

Full Issue

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

What’S In A Name? Playing In The Onomastic Sandbox, Kevin L. Barney

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Name as Key-Word brings together a collection of essays, many of them previously published, whose consistent theme is exploring examples of onomastic wordplay or puns in Mormon scripture in general and the Book of Mormon in particular. Without a knowledge of the meaning of these names, the punning in the scriptural accounts would not be recognized by modern English readers. Exploring the (probable) meanings of these names helps to open our eyes to how the scriptural authors used punning and other forms of wordplay to convey their messages in a memorable way.

On Being The Sons Of Moses And Aaron: Another Look At Interpreting The Oath And Covenant Of The Priesthood, Mark Hamstead

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Section 84 of the Doctrine and Covenants contains what is commonly known by Latter-day Saints as the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood. Priesthood leaders in the church are expected to teach and explain this Oath and Covenant to prospective Melchizedek Priesthood holders. However, the meanings of phrases within the Oath and Covenant are not well understood. For example: What does it mean to become the sons of Moses and Aaron? In what sense are bodies renewed? Are the promised blessings just for holders of the priesthood or for others as well? This paper discusses several ways that phrases in …

The Case Of The Missing Commentary, Brian C. Hales

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

The first published commentary on Doctrine and Covenants Section 132 is a lengthy volume with much material that deals directly with the revelation as well as extended discussions that go well beyond Joseph Smith’s dictated text. Much of the included material has been previously published, although several new historical items are presented, including a detailed examination of the provenance of the revelation. An apparent weakness of the book involves key themes mentioned in the revelation but minimized or otherwise ignored in this extended commentary. Examples include the possible meanings of the “law” (v. 6), importance of sealing authority (vv. 7‒20), …

Plant Endemism And Geoendemic Areas Of Utah, Stanley L. Welsh, Nephi Duane Atwood

Books by Faculty of the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum

Abstract

This summary of Utah's plant endemics is based large part on a paper dealing with differences and similarities of the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau presented by Welsh to a meeting of the Range Society of America at Montrose, Colorado, in May of 2004, and a second presentation to the Colorado Native Plant Society in September of 2007. Discussed in those presentations were brief considerations of topography and geomorphology, geology, hydrology, vegetation, migrational aspects, endemics and disjuncts, and peculiar habitats of plants in the Great Basin of Utah and in the Colorado Plateau. This work expands on those considerations …

Playing To An Audience: A Review Of Revelatory Events, Kevin Christensen

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Ann Taves’s book offers a comparative look at the origins of three groups, among them Mormonism. While she does not address the issue of competing explanations by each group about their origins or how to best navigate among them in terms that are not self-referential, that crucial circumstance is modeled by Thomas Kuhn in The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. So I, too, have a pattern that applies to my arguments just as much it does to those offered by Professor Taves. Where her book attempts to solve the puzzle of Joseph Smith, my review offers a test of her rules …