Digital Commons Network^™

Look Sharp! How Eye Tracking And Memory Explain Susceptibility To Phishing, Ian Jones, Anthony Vance

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Warning messages are one of the last lines of defense in computer security and are fundamental to users’ security interactions with technology. Consequently, researchers have actively sought to understand how users interact with security warnings and why warnings are so pervasively ignored. A key contributor to the disregard of security warnings is habituation—i.e., the diminishing of attention because of frequent exposure to warning. Although habituation has been inferred as a factor in many security-warning studies, little research has examined habituation in the context of security directly because habituation as a mental state is difficult to observe using conventional methods. …

Characterizing Dna2 In Model Plant Arabidopsis, Connor Woodward, Brent Nielsen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Dna2 is a protein that is known to be essential for DNA replication in human and yeast mitochondria. In these organisms it acts as both a helicase and an endonuclease. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana an ortholog of Dna2 exists but has never been studied. Two questions were answered in this study. The first question is “What would happen to A. thaliana plants that lacked Dna2?”. The second is “Where is Dna2 localized in plant cells?”

The Obsessional Information Professional: Four Decades Of Versifying Libraries And Librarians, Richard Hacken

Faculty Publications

Occasional poetry and parodies written by Richard Hacken from the 1980s to 2016 in honor of libraries and librarians:

In chronological order from the Harold B. Lee Library: John Taylor; Janet O. Francis; Gerald K. Dick; Sterling Albrecht; Roy Daniel; Keith Stirling; Don Howard; Haybron Adams; Christina Almond; Marvin Wiggins; Gary Gillum; Susan Fales; Randy Olsen; Richard Jensen; Karen Griggs; Deb Hatch; Julene Butler; Mark Grover; Tom Wright; Marianne Siegmund

Occasions: retirements, HBLL Christmas parties, introductions, farewells, BYU Library School reunion

From Northwestern University: Jeff Garrett. From Harvard University: Charles Fineman. From University of Wisconsin: Barbara Walden. From University of …

The Efficacy Of A Social Communication Intervention On Teacher Report Of Withdrawal For Children With Language Impairment, Allyson Roscher

Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies and literature regarding children with language impairment (LI) indicate that these children have difficulty with social communication skills. This study assessed the effect of a social communication intervention on teacher perceptions of withdrawal in six elementary school age participants with LI. The social communication intervention included story sharing, identifying pictures of facial expressions, and journaling to target emotion understanding. The Teacher Behavior Rating Scale (TBRS) was utilized to measure teacher perception of withdrawal. The TBRS examined three subscales of social withdrawal: solitary-active withdrawal, solitary-passive withdrawal, and reticence. Following treatment, teacher ratings of withdrawn behavior decreased for all six …

Gaseous Particulate Interaction In A 3-Phase Granular Simulation, Kevin W. Munns

Theses and Dissertations

As computer generated special effects play an increasingly integral role in the development of films and other media, simulating granular material continues to be a challenging and resource intensive process. Solutions tend to be pieced together in order to address the complex and different behaviors of granular flow. As such, these solutions tend to be brittle, overly specific, and unnatural. With the introduction of a holistic 3-phase granular simulation, we can now create a reliable and adaptable granular simulation.Our solution improves upon this hybrid solution by addressing the issue of particle flow and correcting interpenetration amongst particles while maintaining the …

The Tower Of Babel Account: A Linguistic Consideration, Dallin D. Oaks

Faculty Publications

The biblical account of the Tower of Babel has generally not been taken seriously by scholars in historical linguistics, but what are regarded by some as problematic aspects of the account may actually relate to claims that have been incorrectly attributed to the account. In fact, the account may not be reporting a sudden· and immediate confusion of languages, or even a sequence in which a confusion of languages led to a scattering of the people. Indeed, a close examination of the account seems to allow an interpretation of events that is compatible with what linguists have observed about [how …

The Efficacy Of A Social Communication Intervention To Increase Syntactic Complexity In Narratives Of Children With Language Impairment, Alexandra Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that children with Language Impairment (LI) struggle with social communication skills in addition to their characteristic syntactic difficulties. This pilot study analyzed the potential change in grammatical complexity in narratives of five children with LI when enrolled in a social communication intervention. The intervention itself focused on teaching emotion understanding by reading and reenacting children’s stories and journaling. Grammatical limitations were indirectly addressed by clinician modeling of complex forms during the intervention sessions. Each child’s productions were assessed and analyzed for grammatical complexity during retelling a book in the Mercer Mayer “a boy, a dog, and a …

The Gospel According To Mormon, Noel B. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

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 Latter-day Saints (LDS) scripture. This article identifies three inclusios which 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 article provides a starting point for scholarly examinations of …

Adaptation Of D2 Dopamine Receptors Following Acute Ethanol, Brian Behnke, Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of my experiment was To study the effects that ethanol (EtOH) has on the D2 receptors (D2R) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA), in order to determine if D2 is a key contributor to an alcohol addictive state.

The Effects Of Genes On The Stress Response, S. Andrew Aston

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) acts as one of the primary coordinators of the physiological, behavioral, and autonomic stress response. CRH secreted from the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus initiates the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis response by signaling the secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the anterior pituitary. ACTH then travels to the adrenal glands, leading to the release of cortisol Thus, CRH plays a key role in preparing an individual to adaptively respond to a stressful situation.

Mechanism Of Assembly Of The Bardet-Biedel Syndrome (Bbs) Complex, Barry M. Willardson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

1. Devon Blake. Devon was the most productive student I have had in my 18 years at BYU. The MEG award helped support his work from January 2013 through May 2014. During this time, Devon co-authored two papers on the effects of cell-type specific deletion of phosducinlike protein 1 (PhLP1) in rod and cone photoreceptor cells (Lai et al. (2013) J. Neurosci. 33, 7941-7951, selected by the Faculty of 1000 as a high-impact paper and Tracy et al. (2014) PLOS One in press). He reported this work in poster form at an international meeting of the Federation of American Society …

Effect Of Caffeine On Skeletal Muscle Growth, David M. Thomson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this mentoring environment grant was to determine the role of LKB1 on the activation of p53 by exercise, muscle development, and pharmacological means. The primary research objectives and findings are listed below:

Tuttle Family Folklore, Corbin Weatherby

Final Projects

The traditions and folklore of a specific folk-group: the Tuttle family. The analysis is broken up into two categories: holiday and non-holiday event traditions.

Elementary School Teacher Folklore--Sharing Funny-Kid Quotes, Brandi Buerger

Final Projects

As most teachers can attest, kids say and do some really funny things. The stories and quotes that result from these experiences have the potential to be remembered for years. What does telling these funny, quirky kid-sayings we overhear as teachers say?

The Disney Folk Group, Brady Leavitt

Final Projects

The Disney folk group is made up of both Disney fans and employees who have a unique vocabulary and are story tellers at the theme parks and by rumors that are told about all things Disney

Mitochondrial Membrane Lipids Regulator In B-Cll Leukemia Research, Brooke Keeton, Dr. John Prince

Journal of Undergraduate Research

B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) is the most common type of leukemia in adults.1 Over 75% of patients diagnosed with B-CLL are over the age of 50 years old, and have a median survival between 18 months and 3 years.2 B-CLL originates from a mutation in the DNA of white blood cells, the potent infection fighters of the body. This genetic mutation produces abnormal white blood cells, rendering them nonfunctional and resulting in a weak immune system. While this mutation originally occurs in the bone marrow, it slowly invades other parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, liver, and …

Jean Haussmann, In Search Of The Origins Of Nazi Monstrosity: From Persecution To Annihilation, Joseph Drew

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Niccolo Leo Caldararo, The Anthropology Of The Credit Crisis: Magical Thinking, Irrationality And The Role Of Inequality, Andrew Targowski

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Collective Wisdom And Civilization: Revitalizing Ancient Wisdom Traditions, Thomas Keifer

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Witchcraft In The Early Modern West, Larry Gragg

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Evolution And Biogeography Of Mesoamerican Small Mammals: With Focus On The Genus Handleyomys And Related Taxa, Ana Villalba Almendra

Theses and Dissertations

Mesoamerica is considered a biodiversity hot spot with levels of endemism and species diversity likely underestimated. For mammals, the patterns of diversification of Mesoamerican taxa still are controversial. Reasons for this include the region's complex geologic history, and the relatively recent timing of such geological events. Previous studies, however, support the view that substantial migration between North (NA) and South America (SA) occurred prior or/and during the Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI) ~3.5 Ma. This was followed by repeated periods of isolation during Pleistocene climatic oscillations, which produced most of the diversification in the region. From a North American origin, …

Access, Gender, And Agency On Study Abroad: Four Case Studies Of Female Students In Jordan, Jordan Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study follows the experiences of four female students as they sought to gain access to native speakers and the L2, engage with the culture, and fulfill program speaking requirements (two hours of speaking the second language outside of class per weekday) in Amman, Jordan. The research explores the following questions: what challenges did female participants on BYU's intensive Arabic study abroad (SA) program face as they accessed native speakers and the L2 outside of the classroom, how were participants able to persevere through and overcome these challenges, and how were program interventions set up to help participants persevere …

Sertraline Effects On Cerebrospinal Fluid Monoamines And Species-Typical Socioemotional Behavior Of Female Cynomolgus Monkeys, Carol A. Shively, Thomas C. Register, James Dee Higley, Stephanie L. Willard

Faculty Publications

Rationale—Although widely prescribed, little is known about selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) effects on social behavior and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) monoamines in female primates.

Objective—To determine the effects of sertraline on agonistic and affiliative behavior.

Methods—21 adult female cynomolgus monkeys were housed in small, stable social groups, trained to participate in oral dosing, and began a 5-week cumulative dose response study. Serial doses of 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 mg/kg of sertraline were administered orally for one week each. Behavior was recorded daily during 10-minute observations before and 4 hours after dosing. On the 7th day of dosing, circulating …

Biological Control Of Saltcedar (Tamarix Spp.) By Saltcedar Leaf Beetles (Diorhabda Spp.): Effects On Small Mammals, William S. Longland

Western North American Naturalist

The spread of introduced saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) throughout many riparian systems across the western United States motivated the introduction of saltcedar leaf beetles (Diorhabda carinulata, D. elongata; Chrysomelidae) as a biological control agent specific to saltcedar. I monitored small mammal populations for up to 12 years as saltcedar defoliation progressed at 3 of the original saltcedar beetle release sites and at an additional site where beetles established through dispersal. There was no evidence of any linear effect of increasing defoliation over time on small mammal species richness. Estimated population sizes of 4 small mammal species, based on mark-release-recapture …

Geographic And Elevational Distribution Of Fringed Myotis (Myotis Thysanodes) In Colorado, Mark A. Hayes, Rick A. Adams

Western North American Naturalist

Fringed myotis (Myotis thysanodes) is considered a bat species of conservation concern in Colorado and in western North America. The purpose of our research was to describe the geographic and elevational distribution of fringed myotis in Colorado and consider the potential influence of the Southern Rocky Mountains on the distribution of this species. We documented, mapped, and analyzed 729 Colorado capture and occurrence records for this species, and used 546 records in a 2-way ANOVA comparing elevational distribution among sex and reproductive classes. Mean elevation of occurrence was significantly different among reproductive classes (F = 7.03, P …

Habitat Selection By The Pygmy Rabbit (Brachylagus Idahoensis) In Northeastern Utah, Jennifer M. Schmalz, Barbara Wachocki, Masako Wright, Samuel I. Zeveloff, Michele M. Skopec

Western North American Naturalist

The pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis), the world’s smallest rabbit, has a limited distribution due to its year round dependence on sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) for food and shelter. Due to accelerating habitat loss from fragmentation, development, and fire, understanding the pygmy rabbit’s ecology has become increasingly important. In 2010, we initiated a study of the status of a pygmy rabbit population and its habitat requirements on U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land near Woodruff in northeastern Utah. We first observed and recorded the presence of the rabbit and its use of the area, and then measured …

Current Distributional Status Of The Striped Skunk, Mephitis Mephitis, In Baja California, Mexico, Jorge H. Valdez-Villavicencio, Gorgonio Ruiz-Campos, Jonathan Escobar-Flores, Aldo A. Guevara Carrizales, Salvador González-Guzmán

Western North American Naturalist

We provide information on recent records of the 2 subspecies of striped skunk occurring in the northeastern (Mephitis mephitis estor) and northwestern (M. m. holzneri) region of Baja California, Mexico. Most of the recent records for these subspecies come from valleys and suburban zones.


Aportamos registros recientes para las dos subespecies del zorrillo rayado Mephitis mephitis que ocurren en el noreste (M. m. estor) y noroeste (M. m. holzneri) de Baja California, México. La mayoría de los registros recientes de estas subespecies provienen de los valles y zonas suburbanas.

Size Distribution And Nutrient Excretion Of Melanoides Tuberculata In A Southern Nevada Spring Ecosystem, Knut Mehler, Kumud Acharya

Western North American Naturalist

To better understand the impact of Melanoides tuberculata on ecosystem processes via nutrient recycling, we quantified the body size distribution, density, and ammonia-nitrogen (NH₄–N) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) excretion of M. tuberculata in Rogers Spring, which is located in southern Nevada. We examined how nutrient recycling rates were related to body size and body nutrient content. We found that small individuals dominated the size structure, density, and NH₄–N and SRP excretion rates and that nutrient recycling was determined by biomass rather than by high per capita excretion rates. The NH₄–N excretion rates of …

Bats And Mines: Evaluating Townsend's Big-Eared Bat (Corynorhinus Townsendii) Maternity Colony Behavioral Response To Gating, Gabrielle F. Diamond, Joel M. Diamond

Western North American Naturalist

With the loss and modification of natural roosting habitat afforded by caves, abandoned mines have assumed increased importance as alternative roosting sites for Townsend’s big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii). However, increased human safety concerns have led to accelerated abandoned mine closure programs. To protect roosting sites in mines with significant bat activity, bat-compatible gates are installed that allow continued access to mine workings. Aside from ensuring public safety, these gates provide protection from disturbance to roosting bats. We evaluated the effects of gating on bat flight behavior at maternity colonies in 2 previously gated (control) and 2 ungated (treatment) …

New White-Lipped Peccary (Tayassu Pecari) Records For The Coast Of Campeche, Mexico, Mircea G. Hidalgo-Mihart, Fernando M. Contreras-Moreno, Luz A. Pérez-Solano, Alejandro Jesús De La Cruz

Western North American Naturalist

Using camera traps, we recorded presence of the white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari;WLP) in the Chenkan region, an area of wetlands, mangroves, and tropical flood forest located on the coast of Campeche in Mexico. The WLP had been considered extinct in the area, so its rediscovery in Chenkan increases the known range of the current distribution of this species, which is classified as endangered in Mexico. The presence of WLP in Chenkan highlights the importance of the area for the conservation of this endangered species. Therefore, it is necessary to take effective conservation actions to maintain the region’s natural …