Digital Commons Network^™

Roosts Of Northern Long-Eared Myotis (Myotis Septentrionalis) At The Western Edge Of The Great Plains, Brett R. Andersen, Keith Geluso

Western North American Naturalist

The northern long-eared myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) is a forest-obligate, tree-roosting bat of the United States and Canada. Most prior studies on roost characteristics were conducted in contiguous forested habitats of eastern North America, where roosting opportunities are potentially numerous. At the western end of its distribution in the Great Plains, M. septentrionalis inhabits narrow, forested riparian waterways. Because these ribbons of forest differ from habitats farther east, roost selection by M. septentrionalis at the western edge of its distribution might differ and affect management practices in the region. Moreover, M. septentrionalis is imperiled by a deadly fungal …

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

New Book Compiles Scholarship On Oliver Cowdery

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

In conjunction with the recent BYU symposium “Oliver Cowdery: Restoration Witness, Second Elder,” the Maxwell Institute has published Oliver Cowdery: Scribe, Elder, Witness, edited by John W. Welch and Larry E. Morris. This book includes 17 important articles previously published by BYU Studies or FARMS and covers virtually all periods of Oliver Cowdery’s life.

Maxwell Institute Supports Byu Symposium On Oliver Cowdery With Speakers, New Book

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

To commemorate the 200th anniversary of Oliver Cowdery’s birth on 3 October 1806, more than a dozen scholars treated crowds in the BYU Conference Center to fresh perspectives on Cowdery as a central figure in the Restoration. Entitled “Oliver Cowdery: Restoration Witness, Second Elder,” the symposium featured cultural historian Richard L. Bushman as keynote speaker and several other distinguished speakers spread throughout four sessions of three or four concurrent presentations each. Cosponsors of the five-hour event, held on 10 November, were the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation and BYU’s Religious Studies Center.

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Making The Case For Cultural Diffusion In Ancient Times

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Old theories die hard in academia, at least when they are entrenched and have been defended intellectually with fervor. Only with overwhelming evidence to the contrary does the institutional status quo crumble and make way for new theories to find legitimacy within the academic mainstream. Illustrative of this struggle for acceptance in the academy has been the contest between the establishment position that ancient American civilization evolved in complete independence from the Old World and the “cultural diffusion hypothesis.” The latter proposes that American societies did not arise and develop in total isolation but were stimulated by connections from the …

Genetic Diversity And Evolutionary Potential Of Rare Plant Species: Mentzelia Mollis And M. Packardiae (Loasaceae), Joshua M. Brokaw, Megan R. Howard, Brianna N. Douglas

Western North American Naturalist

Mentzelia mollis and M. packardiae are narrowly distributed plants occurring primarily in the Owyhee Desert of southeastern Oregon and southwestern Idaho. Previous molecular studies have suggested a relatively old allopolyploid origin of M. mollis (4×) followed by the allopolyploid formation of M. packardiae (8×) from the combination of M. mollis and a second extinct progenitor superimposed with ongoing genetic introgression from other species in Mentzelia section Trachyphytum. Here we report the sequencing of the chloroplast intergenic spacer ndhF–rpl32 from 15 populations of M. mollis and 4 populations of M. packardiae as well as diagnostic analyses of their edaphic habitats …

Full Issue

Quidditas

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

Quidditas

No abstract provided.

Communication And Social Interactions In The Late Middle Ages: The Fables By The Swiss-German Dominican Ulrich Bonerius, Albrecht Classen

Quidditas

There are many possible and useful approaches to the study of literature. One very effective way proves to be to study literary texts as platforms to explore the meaning, relevance, and workings of human communication, or the very opposite, miscommunication. Such an approach proves to be rather productive both for medieval and modern texts, from the western and the eastern tradition, whether we are reflecting on entertaining, moral, didactic, religious, or political texts. The literary work consists of words exchanged, and thus here we encounter the perfect example of a theoretical platform to discuss human interactions in many different contexts …

Linguistic Failure And The “Trembling Parole” In Alain Chartier’S Belle Dame Sans Mercy, Alani Hicks-Bartlett

Quidditas

At first blush, Alain Chartier’s late medieval poem, the Belle Dame sans mercy seems to recount a story that is quite similar to narrations of other frustrated affairs in the courtly love tradition, as it tells of a devoted lover who relentlessly, yet unsuccessfully, begs for the euphemistic “mercy” of his lady. Plying the lady with compliments, assailing her with threats, and attempting to verbally manipulate her, the lover endeavors to force the lady to love him through various unsuccessful linguistic strategies. Although he commits to the lady and presents her with countless arguments about why she should cede to …

Luigi Pulci’S Fifteenth-Century Verse Parody Of Moses: A Denunciation Of Marsilio Ficino’S Neoplatonic Christianity, Michael J. Maher

Quidditas

In early 1470s Florence, popular poet Luigi Pulci, author of the celebrated epic poem Morgante, wrote a sonnet of religious parody. In Poi ch’io parti’ da voi, Pulci satirizes biblical miracles, immediately earning himself the label of heretic, still attached to his name to this day. A close examination of Pulci’s sonnet, with specific attention given to his treatment of Moses, reveals Pulci’s motivation and the circumstances surrounding composition. Pulci’s scandalous sonnet was in fact an attempt at underscoring the maltreatment of biblical miracles in a first-century Greek text by the Romano-Jewish historian Jospehus. Renowned philosopher Marsilio Ficino, with …

Stemficohort1preinterviewdata, Rebecca L. Sansom, Bryn Stclair, Jamie Jensen, Richard West

ScholarsArchive Data

The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics faculty institute (STEMFI) is a National Science Foundation funded project designed to provide support, measurement, and training to BYU faculty developing their own student-centered curriculum.

This PDF file contains pre-institute participation interview data from the first cohort of faculty involved in the STEM faculty institute (2018).

Same Purpose, New Approach: A Case Study Of The North Dakota Bismarck Mission Using Social Media During Covid-19, Scott L. Howell

Faculty Publications

This is the story of how one mission in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Church) adapted its approach, but not its purpose, to invite all to come unto Jesus Christ during the first 16 months of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020 to July 2021). The North Dakota Bismarck Mission (NDBM hereafter) covers all or parts of the states of North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, and Nebraska, and, like the other 404 missions¹ throughout the world, traditional approaches to missionary work were significantly disrupted by the effects of COVID-19. No longer were missionaries able to find and …

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Worth Repeating: “The Book Of Mormon As A Mesoamerican Record”, John L. Sorenson

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

The Nephite account is a record that resembles in form, nature, and functions—in scores of characteristics, in fact—what we would expect in an ancient Mesoamerican codex, a type of document that was utterly unknown to Joseph Smith.

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Reformatted Text Of Book Of Mormon Enhances Study

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Just in time for the study of the Book of Mormon in the 2008 churchwide Sunday School courses, the Maxwell Institute recently released an updated and expanded edition of Donald W. Parry’s Poetic Parallelisms in the Book of Mormon: The Complete Text.

Scripture Update: Lehi As A Visionary Man, Matthew Roper

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

One of the complaints leveled against Lehi by his rebellious sons Laman and Lemuel and his wife, Sariah, was that he was a “visionary man” (1 Nephi 2:11; 5:2). Although this term does not appear in the King James translation of the Bible, it accurately reflects the Hebrew word hazon, meaning divine vision.1 Although this Hebrew term appears in connection with true prophets of God, it is also sometimes written with a negative connotation, describing false prophets, especially in the writings of Lehi’s contemporary Jeremiah (Jeremiah 14:14; 23:16).

Impact Of Zirconia Slurry In Steel Powder On Melt Pool Characteristics In Laser Powder Bed Fusion, Taylor Davis, Tracy W. Nelson, Nathan B. Crane

Faculty Publications

Purpose – dding dopants to a powder bed could be a cost-effective method for spatially varying the material properties in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) or for evaluating new materials and processing relationships. However, these additions may impact the selection of processing parameters. Furthermore, these impacts may be different when depositing nanoparticles into the powder bed than when the same composition is incorporated into the powder particles as by ball milling of powders or mixing similarly sized powders. This study aims to measure the changes in the single bead characteristics with laser power, laser scan speed, laser spot size and …

Distribution Of The Native Freshwater Mussels Anodonta Nuttalliana And Margaritifera Falcata In Utah And Western Wyoming Using Environmental Dna, Torrey W. Rodgers, Lusha M. Tronstad, Bernardo R. Gonzales, Madison Crawford, Karen E. Mock

Western North American Naturalist

Native freshwater mussels have seen dramatic declines in western North America, but effective monitoring and management of these organisms can be difficult due to their cryptic nature. We used environmental DNA sampling—a sensitive, noninvasive genetic technique—to examine the contemporary distribution of 2 native freshwater mussel species, Anodonta nuttalliana and Margaritifera falcata, in Utah and western Wyoming. We sampled water bodies with historical presence, as well as additional water bodies and locations with promising habitat for the species. We detected A. nuttalliana from 39% of the 31 water bodies sampled and M. falcata from 16% of the 25 water …

Charge Detection Mass Spectrometry Using Printed Circuit Board Arrays For The Analysis Of Microparticles In The Martian Atmosphere, Elaura Luanne Gustafson

Theses and Dissertations

Charge detection mass spectrometry (CDMS) is a single particle technique capable of simultaneously measuring charge and mass-to-charge ratios for individual ions or particles. The linear array CDMS design theoretically has no upper mass limit and is therefore a choice method for the analysis of high mass and heterogeneous samples, such as dust microparticles in the Martian atmosphere. This dissertation describes the development of a novel charge detection mass spectrometer made of printed circuit boards (PCB) for the analysis of dust microparticles in the Martian atmosphere. Development of this device has required investigations in analysis methods and the engineering design of …

Robert Kingston Vickery, Jr.—In Memoriam, E. Durant Mcarthur

Western North American Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Neuroticism And Relationship Quality: A Meta-Analytic Review, Charlotte R. Esplin

Theses and Dissertations

Of each of the Big-Five personality traits, neuroticism is most strongly associated with poor relationship outcomes. Prior research has established a robust negative association between neuroticism and relationship quality, regardless of participant age, length of relationship, and country of origin. As so much has already been studied on the topic of neuroticism and relationship quality, the current study explores the association between neuroticism and relationship using meta-analytic methodology, and details whether Hill's seven criteria for causation have been met in the current literature thus far. After searching through databases and the references of included studies, I used 151 published studies …

Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel (Ictidomys Tridecemlineatus) Morphology And Burrow Placement Across A Latitudinal Range, Emma Solis, Emily Davis, Hallie Dickerson, Veronqiue Tessier, Taqwa Armstrong, Jessica Healy-La Price

Western North American Naturalist

Thirteen-lined ground squirrels (TLGS; Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) are burrowing obligate hibernators whose species range extends over 20 degrees latitude in North America from Texas to Canada. Despite their ubiquity as laboratory animals for hibernation research, relatively little is known about their life history across their range in the wild. We live-trapped TLGS in parks or cemeteries from Texas to Minnesota, took morphological measurements, and conducted a survey of burrowing locations in 5 states across the latitudinal gradient. We found that soil texture and percent soil organic matter differed at field sites in different states, with Minnesota soil high in sand …

Improving Ideation Of User Actions Using A Novel Ideation Method, Thomas L. Ashworth

Theses and Dissertations

During early stages of the design process, ideation methods are used to generate a set of potential solutions based on a particular need. Solutions to design problems generally require both technology and user actions (or tactics) of some sort, although solution ideas may omit explicit mention of either technology or tactics. Previous research suggests that an explicit consideration of tactics in early-stage ideation enables design teams to improve the quantity, quality, variety, and novelty of their idea sets. In this paper, a novel ideation method known as the Random Prompts method is presented, and its performance is evaluated against a …

The Occupation Of The Uyghur People By The Chinese Communist Party, Duncan Forrest

Ballard Brief

The Uyghurs are a group of ethnic Muslims in China that have recently been invaded by an external government: the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Uyghurs inhabit a resource-rich part of China that the CCP desires to control because of China's growing population and large-scale international projects. The stark religious differences between the CCP and Uyghurs have also fueled the conflict. Additionally, the CCP has claimed that the Uyghur people are separatists and terrorists, threatening the CCP. The unforthcoming nature of the CCP has made it difficult for outside observers to understand the extent of the human rights violations in …

The Socioeconomic Achievement Gap In The Us Public Schools, Kate Bradley

Ballard Brief

Impoverished children are severely disadvantaged before even reaching adulthood. In public schools, lower-income children are significantly less likely to succeed than their wealthier classmates. Poverty affects a child's brain development, inhibiting their ability to learn and understand. In addition, lower income students go to schools with insufficient funding and resources: quality teachers or the lack thereof increase the inability to provide for these students adequately. The achievement gap affects students by increasing dropout rates. It involves the nation by costing the US nearly $700 billion annually. Even more grave than the financial consequences is the loss of every student-each with …

Lack Of Child Protection In Us Custody Proceedings Involving Allegations Of Abuse, Elle Stoker

Ballard Brief

If allegations of abuse are filed in a child custody proceeding, it is meant to show evidence that the child could be in danger of future physical, sexual, or psychological abuse or neglect. The individuals who receive guardianship of children play a large role in the child's healthcare, education, and living situation. With some numbers estimating that 58,000 children per year are put into the custody of an abuser, this issue is important to consider. Currently, the United States has different laws and regulations that are not applied consistently across different court cases. While psychological testing is one of the …

Mary Ann Shadd Cary And Kit Coleman: The Shifting Public Memory Of Canadian Female Journalism, Josie Smith

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

Susa Young Gates Award Essay

Honorable Mention

On June 30, 1855, Mary Ann Shadd Cary, a free black woman from a prominent black family and editor of The Provincial Freeman (a black abolitionist newspaper printed in Chatham, Ontario, Canada) wrote the following to identify her own achievements in journalism: “To colored women, we have a word—we have broken the Editorial ice, whether willingly or not, for your class in America, so go to Editing as many of you as are willing and able.” Shadd Cary did indeed break the “Editorial ice” as the first black female newspaper editor in both …