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The Differences In Time To Stability, Foot Muscle Size, And Toe Flexor Strength Between Cheerleaders And Gymnasts, Kelsey Renee Garner

Theses and Dissertations

Context: There has been recent speculation that the intrinsic muscles of the foot may play a larger role in lower extremity control and injury than previously believed. Multiple studies have shown that certain intrinsic muscles increase in size and strength after transitioning to minimalist shoe running, theoretically decreasing injury risk. There are currently no studies that examine the effect that training barefoot has in other athletic populations. Objective: Our purpose was to compare the intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscle size and strength in gymnasts (who predominantly train barefoot) and cheerleaders (who predominantly train shod). Another purpose was to measure time …

Examining Justifiable And Unjustifiable Cultural Biases In Psychological Science, Jordan D. Hyde

Theses and Dissertations

Research in cultural psychology suggests that mind and behavior are necessarily cultural. The implications of this perspective call into question assumptions of scientific psychology's cultural neutrality and indicate that it may be a form of cultural community in its own right. As such, it seems that it will necessarily be defined by certain cultural biases that are exclusive of other cultural biases. Nevertheless, providing that scientists can strive to identify their explicit and implicit cultural biases, and so long as they can define their sciences in terms of cultural biases that are rational and mandatory within the internal logic of …

Investigation Of Dynamic Biological Systems Using Direct Injection And Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry, Adam Clayton Swensen

Theses and Dissertations

In biological systems, small changes can have significant impacts. It is, therefore, very important to be able to identify these changes in order to understand what is occurring in the organism. In many cases, this is not an easy task. Mass spectrometry has proven to be a very useful tool in elucidating biological changes even at a very small scale. Several different mass spectrometry based techniques have been developed to discover and investigate complex biological changes. Some of these techniques, such as proteomics, have been through years of development and have advanced to the point that anyone can complete complex …

The Effects Of L-Cysteine On Alzheimer's Disease Pathology In Apoe2, Apoe3, And Apoe4 Homozygous Mice, Stephen Gerard Cieslak

Theses and Dissertations

The APOE gene is of profound importance regarding the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD). From the small physical differences among the protein products of the isoforms of this gene arises a profound difference in their physiologies. For example, the APOE2 isoform confers resistance to AD, the APOE3 isoform confers neutral susceptibility to AD, and the APOE4 isoform confers proneness to AD. L-cysteine is an amino acid that has several anti-AD properties, among which are its ability to sequester iron and form glutathione – a powerful antioxidant – and therefore may be a promising potential dietary supplement for ameliorating AD …

Preventing Vocal Fold Dehydration Using Aerosolized Salinein An Excised Porcine Model, Mallory Lynn Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

Vocal fold hydration is important for efficient oscillation during voice production. Dehydration of the vocal fold surface is believed to produce adverse effects on the voice. Specifically, low environmental humidity, mouth breathing, and certain medical conditions may contribute to laryngeal and vocal fold dehydration. This dehydration effect may be quantified using the observed pressure and flow at the onset of phonation, operationally defined as phonation threshold pressure (PTP) and phonation threshold flow (PTF), respectively. Previous research has documented that nebulized isotonic saline (0.9% Na+Cl-) can reduce PTP. Additionally, the topical application of liquid saline increases vocal fold hydration in excised …

Endocannabinoid-Mediated Synaptic Plasticity In The Ventral Tegmental Area And Hippocampus, Lindsey Nicole Friend

Theses and Dissertations

Synaptic plasticity is the process whereby connections between neurons can be altered in an experience dependent manner. For example, drugs of abuse alter plasticity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the midbrain. A large amount of research has been applied to uncovering the mechanism whereby synapses on the reward signaling dopamine cells is altered, however, less is known regarding the VTA inhibitory GABA neurons. Our objective was to examine the ability of GABA neurons to exhibit plasticity, and determine how drugs of abuse could influence it. Here we report a novel type of plasticity of excitatory neurotransmission onto VTA …

Running Decreases Knee Intra-Articular Cytokine And Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Concentrations: A Pilot Study, Robert D. Hyldahl, Alyssa Evans, Sunku Kwon, Sarah T. Ridge, Eric Robinson, J. Ty Hopkins, Matthew K. Seeley

Faculty Publications

Introduction Regular exercise protects against degenerative joint disorders, yet the mechanisms that underlie these benefits are poorly understood. Chronic, low-grade inflammation is widely implicated in the onset and progression of degenerative joint disease.

Purpose To examine the effect of running on knee intra-articular and circulating markers of inflammation and cartilage turnover in healthy men and women.

Methods Six recreational runners completed a running (30 min) and control (unloaded for 30 min) session in a counterbalanced order. Synovial fluid (SF) and serum samples were taken before and after each session. Cytokine concentration was measured in SF and serum using a multiplexed …

Front Matter, Vol. 76 No. 3

Western North American Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Micronesia's Coming Of Age: The Mormon Role In Returning Micronesia To Self-Rule, Devan Jensen

Faculty Publications

Mormons, or members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have a distinguished history of service in the U.S. government. During a forty-year period following World War II, Mormon politicians played vital roles in transitioning several islands in the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands from a quasi-colonial status into the self-governing Federated States of Micronesia. This article briefly traces the complicated transition through the public service of four key Mormon administrators: Elbert D. Thomas, John A. Carver Jr., Stewart L. Udall, and Morris K. Udall. They served respectively as first civilian high commissioner of the Trust Territory, …

Preliminary Identification Of Coping Profiles Relevant To Surrogate Decision Making In The Icu, Jorie M. Butler, Eliotte L. Hirshberg, Ramona O. Hopkins, Emily L. Wilson, James F. Orme, Sarah J. Beesley, Kathryn Kuttler, Samuel M. Brown

Faculty Publications

Objective The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a stressful environment for families of critically ill patients and these individuals are at risk to develop persistent psychological morbidity. Our study objective was to identify individual differences in coping with stress and information presentation preferences of respondents exposed to a simulated ICU experience.

Methods Participants were recruited from a university and two community populations. Participants completed questionnaires that measured demographic information and characteristics that may be relevant to an individual’s ICU experience. Quality of life was measured by the EQ5D, personality dimensions were examined with the abbreviated Big Five inventory, coping with …

Physiological Response Of Tamarix Ramosissima (Tamaricaceae) To A Biological Control Agent, Evan B. Craine, Ann Evankow, Katherine Bibee Wolfson, Kathryn Dalton, Holly Swedlund, Casey Bowen, M. Shane Heschel

Western North American Naturalist

Within the last century, the floristic composition of riparian communities in the Southwest has drastically changed following introduction of the exotic tree Tamarix ramosissima. In an attempt to control Tamarix populations, the tamarisk leaf beetle (Diorhabda carinulata) has been utilized as a biological control agent. Three years of data collection at our study sites along Fountain Creek (Fountain, CO) allowed us to characterize the response of Tamarix to invasion by the biological control agent. In analyzing data collected before, during, and after the beetle invasion, we observed a significant effect of foliar herbivory on Tamarix physiology and life …

Withering-By-Sea, Tessa Mcmillan

Children's Book and Media Review

While residing at a health resort with her three stingy aunts, Stella Montgomery witnesses the murder of an elderly hotel patron, Mr. Filbert. But before his death, Mr. Filbert entrusts Stella with an ancient bottle to keep away from his murderer—a magician known as The Professor. The Professor forces his young assistant, Ben, to use his seer-ability to discover the bottle’s location. When Stella’s part is revealed, The Professor kidnaps Stella and holds her at the local theater. Stella tricks The Professor’s goons and finds sanctuary with two theater performers: Mr. Capelli and the dancer, Gert. But before Stella is …

Geochemical Comparison Of Ancient And Modern Eolian Dune Foresets Using Principal Components Analysis, David A. Little

Theses and Dissertations

Geochemistry has been used to determine the provenance and diagenetic history of eolian sandstone deposits. However, the grain size, sorting, cementation, and detrital composition of eolian units can change along dune foreset laminae. The purpose of this study was to test for consistent trends of compositional change along dune foresets. Such trends could increase the quality of geochemical sampling of eolian sandstones and possibly aid in estimating the original height of ancient sand dunes. XRF data was gathered for both major and trace elements from the Pennsylvanian to Permian Weber Sandstone, Early Jurassic Navajo Sandstone, and modern Coral Pink Sand …

Childhood Abuse Types And Adult Relational Violence Mediated By Adult Attachment Behaviors And Romantic Relational Aggression In Couples, Tabitha Nicole Webster

Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigated how three distinct types of childhood abuse—witnessing of parental domestic violence, experiencing physical abuse and total in-home violence, and experiencing sexual abuse—predicted partner reports of relational violence through the mediating factors self-perceptions of attachment and partner reports of relational aggression. The study used paired dyadic data from 1,658 couples who had completed the RELATionship Evaluation (RELATE). The Family Violence, the Brief Accessibility and Responsiveness, Couples Relational Aggression and Victimization, and the Conflict Tactics scales were the measures used. Data was analyzed by using structural equation modeling to estimate an actor-partner interdependence model exploring these relationships. Results …

Critical-Care Nurses' Suggestions To Improve End-Of-Life Care Obstacles: Minimal Change Over 17 Years, Kacie Hart Hadley

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Critical-care nurses (CCN) provide end-of life (EOL) care on a daily basis as one in five patients dies while in Intensive Care Units (ICU). CCNs overcome many obstacles to perform quality EOL care for dying patients. Objectives: The purposes of this study were to collect CCNs' current suggestions for improving EOL care and determine if EOL care obstacles have changed by comparing results to data gathered in 1998. Methods: A 72-item questionnaire regarding EOL care perceptions was mailed to a national, geographically dispersed, random sample of 2,000 members of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. Nurses were asked for …

Pathway: A Gateway To Global Church Education, Benjamin Charles Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

Education and learning have ever been at the core of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Throughout its history that now extends nearly one hundred ninety years, the Church has made numerous attempts to provide educational opportunities for its members. Some attempts have failed, and others were met with some success—though limited, to be sure. In hindsight, most of these efforts were simply laying the foundation for something far greater. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, the groundwork for global Church education had been laid, and the seeds planted. Beginning with a pilot administered through BYU-Idaho, a …

Transition Services For Parolees With Co-Occurring Substance Use And Mental Health Disorders, Michaela Elizabeth Huber

Theses and Dissertations

A large portion of U.S. inmates and parolees experience co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders (COD). Offenders with COD exhibit significantly poorer outcomes than offenders who do not have COD, including less time to rearrest and reincarceration. Research shows that transition services for substance use and mental health disorders improve parolee outcomes, yet a majority of offenders with COD do not receive transition services prior to discharge or upon release from correctional facilities. Using a nationally representative sample of offenders with COD (secondary data from the CJ-DATS; N=811), this study analyzes the treatment effects of Transition Case Management (TCM) …

Overexpression Of Hdac1 Induces Functional Β-Cell Mass, Carrie Draney

Theses and Dissertations

Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder that results in β-cell dysfunction and ultimate destruction, and leads to impaired glucose homeostasis. High rates of proliferation and differentiation of pancreatic β-cells occurs mostly during neonatal development. However, research shows these mechanisms remain intact as β-cell proliferation has been observed during pregnancy and obesity. We have shown that overexpression of the β-cell transcription factor Nkx6.1 is sufficient to induce β-cell proliferation. Exploration of the transcriptional targets of Nkx6.1 has identified histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) as a down-stream target of Nkx6.1. Here we demonstrate that HDAC1 overexpression is sufficient to induce β-cell proliferation, …

A Cryab Interactome Reveals Clientele Specificity And Dysfunction Of Mutants Associated With Human Disease, Whitney Katherine Hoopes

Theses and Dissertations

Small Heat Shock Proteins (sHSP) are critical molecular chaperones that function to maintain protein homeostasis (proteostasis) and prevent the aggregation of other proteins during cellular stress. Any disruption in the process of proteostasis can lead to prevalent diseases ranging from cancer and cataract to cardiovascular and Alzheimer's disease. CryAB (αB-crystallin, HspB5) is one of ten known human sHSP that is abundant in the lens, skeletal, and cardiac muscle. This protein is required for cardiac function and muscle cell integrity. When the cell experiences physiological stress, including heat shock, CryAB moves to the cytoskeleton to act as a chaperone and prevent …

Genetic And Biochemical Analysis Of The Micrococcin Biosynthetic Pathway, Philip Ross Bennallack

Theses and Dissertations

Declining antibiotic discovery and flourishing antibiotic resistance have led to a modern antibiotic crisis which threatens to compromise our ability to treat infectious disease. Consequently, there is significant interest in developing new antibiotics with novel modes of action and chemical properties. Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are natural compounds with the appealing attributes of being derived directly from a genetic template while possessing numerous exotic chemical features that contribute to stability and antimicrobial activity. Abundant in nature, their diverse range of biological activities makes them excellent prospects for antibiotic development. Thiopeptides, a RiPP family rich in chemical complexity, …

The Intestinal Parasites Of An Assemblage Of Stream Fishes In Central Utah, Matthew Rambo, Ashlee N. Smith, Mehmet Cemal Oguz, Mark C. Belk

Western North American Naturalist

Parasite communities of stream fish assemblages in the western United States are poorly known. We investigated the intestinal parasites of an assemblage of stream fishes in Spanish Fork River in central Utah, USA. Two species, mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdii) and redside shiner (Richardsonius balteatus), had no observable parasites. In the other 3 species, southern leatherside chub (Lepidomeda aliciae), mountain sucker (Catostomus platyrhynchus), and longnose dace (Rhinichthys cataractae), we identified metacercia of an unidentified trematode. We found adult cestodes in southern leatherside chub only. Prevalence and intensity of parasites was highest …

Lost In The Sun, Aylea Stephens

Children's Book and Media Review

Trent’s world is shattered when he accidentally kills a kick with a hockey puck because of the kid’s previously unknown health-conditions. Even months after the accident, Trent feels alone and can’t handle playing sports anymore. His one connection to people his age after he quits sports is his new friend, Fallon. They watch movies together and she tries to convince him to draw the different stories about her mysterious scar, but she won’t tell him how she actually got it. Trent struggles with his dad, his family, his temper, and school as he tries to figure out how to cope …

Back Matter

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Book Reviews

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Technology In Eurasia Before Modern Times: A Survey, Norman C. Rothman

Comparative Civilizations Review

This work traces the development of technology in Eurasia before 1400 C.E. It covers the Middle East, China, India, and Europe. It puts the emphasis on such key areas as metallurgy and textiles as well as the development of inventions and innovations in the technological and applied scientific processes. Simultaneously, it examines the role that trade, urbanization, governmental policy, and cultural imperatives played in this process. Chronologically, it covers the ancient, classical, and medieval period periods. It includes a brief introduction dealing with definitions and ends with a general conclusion.

Vibration Monitoring Via Nano-Composite Piezoelectric Foam Bushings, David T. Fullwood, Evan T. Bird, A Jake Merrell, Brady K. Anderson, Cory N. Newton, Parker G. Rosquist, Anton E. Bowden, Matthew K. Seeley

Faculty Publications

Most mechanical systems produce vibrations as an inherent side effect of operation. Though some vibrations are acceptable in operation, others can cause damage or signal a machine’s imminent failure. These vibrations would optimally be monitored in real-time, without human supervision to prevent failure and excessive wear in machinery. This paper explores a new alternative to currently-used machine-monitoring equipment, namely a piezoelectric foam sensor system. These sensors are made of a silicone-based foam embedded with nano- and micro-scale conductive particles. Upon impact, they emit an electric response that is directly correlated with impact energy, with no electrical power input. In the …

Support And Negation Of Colorectal Cancer Risk Prevention Behaviors: Analysis Of Spousal Discussions, Wendy C. Birmingham, Maija Reblin, Wendy Kohlmann, Tyler Graff

Faculty Publications

The shared social context created in a marriage may be important in motivating engagement in health behaviors, but spousal influence may not be uniformly applied. Our goal was to examine how spouses discuss health behaviors relevant for colorectal cancer (CRC) riskreduction to better understand how spouses exert or fail to exert influence. In this pilot study, first degree relatives of CRC patients and their spouses completed demographic and self-reported health questionnaires. After a genetic counseling session regarding risk and risk reduction, couples engaged in a semi-structured discussion task to discuss lifestyle choices they currently undertake or could undertake to reduce …

The Library Of Hong Kong Society For The Blind, Patrick Lo, Dickson Chiu, Joseph Chung Kei Chan, Crisy Chui Yu Cheung, Samuel Ho Yin Li, Alex Wai Ki Tsoi

Journal of East Asian Libraries

The Information Accessibility Centre (IAC) of the Hong Kong Society for the Blind (HKSB) is the only library that provides information and library services to the visually impaired people in Hong Kong. It plays a vital role in helping its HKSB members to obtain information and reading materials, thereby fulfilling their recreational reading needs, as well as to explore the world, while the supports provided by the local public libraries are very limited. In the following interview, Fung-kam Chung (Senior Library Assistant, HKSB) explains in detail, the unique collections, services, as well as other recreational activities that are tailor-made for …

Fitplay Games: Increasing Exercise Motivation Through Asynchronous Social Gaming, Dario Carlos Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

Many factors contribute to people's physical inactivity, but among the leading factors is a lack of motivation. Fitness trackers have been shown to encourage an increase in exercise, but they are frequently abandoned within a few short months. For this thesis I developed and asynchronous-play social gaming platform, FitPlay Games, to fill the gap in motivation left by current fitness trackers. By providing users with a variety of asynchronous cooperative and competitive gaming styles, this platform enable them to find a motivation technique that works best for their lifestyle and fitness prowess. The platform encourages prolonged use of fitness trackers, …

I Love To Eat: Deluxe Touch-And-Feel (Spanish And French Edition), Liz Kazandzhy

Children's Book and Media Review

This quality, interactive board book introduces babies to a variety of words associated with eating, including high chair, sippy cup, peas, and cookie. It’s a vocabulary book, not a story book, and features a total of 12 words, each word presented in English, French, and Spanish.