Digital Commons Network^™

Ritualized Conversion Among Maya Pentecostals Of Ixtahuacan, Guatemala, Michael Jones, Dr. John Hawkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Among two Ki’che’ Pentecostal congregations, I examine conversion as a process for reconstructing one’s disrupted symbolic system or world view. This reconstruction is effected through rituals revealed in ritualized recitation of one’s conversion narrative and in the examination of group interaction. I explore three aspects of the conversion process—motive, mode, and choice of congregational affiliation after acceptance of “el evangelio”—and place conversions in historically and socially relevant contexts. I find that through conversion narratives individuals learn the proper form of conversion and socialization. The narratives reveal the proper way to reform and reconstruct a disrupted symbolic system.

Memorializing The “Worst Side Of Our History” The Creation Of The National Japanese American Memorial, Lindsay Larson, Dr. Mary Stovall Richards

Journal of Undergraduate Research

On November 9, 2000, the National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism during World War II was dedicated in Washington, D.C. The dedication followed years of struggle and controversy, culminating in the creation of a nationwide grassroots campaign advocating “a fair and accurate” memorial. Much of the debate centered around the inclusion of a quote by Mike Masaoka, who would be identified on the monument as a “Civil Rights Advocate” despite his support for unquestioning compliance with the government’s evacuation orders. This reopened debate over the appropriate stance toward Executive Order 9066, the government’s order to evacuate and relocate individuals of …

Images Of Newspapers In American Genre Painting From 1830 To 1865, Jonathan Wardle, Dr. P. Alf Pratte

Journal of Undergraduate Research

At the suggestion of a professor, I wrote a 20-page term paper on images of newspapers in American genre painting for a history of communications class. At first I was going to conduct a general survey of images of newspapers and journalists in American art, but some interesting findings in my early research prompted me to take a more detailed look at images of newspapers in genre painting, specifically from 1830 to 1865.

Film Classification Systems As Indicators Of Cultural Values: An Exploratory Cross-National Study, Marin Turley Bradshaw, Eliza Tanner Hawkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Virtually every country has developed some kind of a film classification system. In the United States the classification system is more commonly known as a film’s “rating.” The purposes of the classification are (1) to protect vulnerable audiences, especially young children and (2) to allow film makers to show their work in public theaters for the development of art in the country. These systems have evolved over time due to trends in media effects research and, more importantly, the cultural values and social mores of the societies where the classification systems are developed. Just as no group of people has …

A Phylogeny Of Robber Flies (Diptera: Asilidae) At The Subfamilial Level: Molecular Evidence, Seth Mikaya Bybee, Dr. Michael Whiting

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Robber flies (Diptera: Asilidae) comprise one of the largest groups of extant flies (Hull, 1962). Asilids constitute more than 500 genera (Woodley, 1989) and more than 5500 species (Lehr, 1988) with a worldwide distribution except Antarctica. Species range in size from less than one centimeter to nearly eight centimeters in length, and their prey consist of both small and large insects caught largely in flight. Asilid color patterns are simple: usually black, gray, or bronze, although some more colorful species appear to mimic bees and wasps. All members of the group, including the problematic group Leptogastrinae (thread-waisted robber flies), form …

Molecular Phylogeny Of The Rodent Genus Liomys: Evidence From The Mitochondrial Cytochrome B Gene, Victoria L. Vance, Dr. Duke S. Rogers

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The number of species described in the world greatly underestimates its biodiversity, especially in some of the areas more rich in diversity such as Mexico. Once the biodiversity in a region is understood, the issues of management and conservation can be addressed. Spiny pocket mice of the genus Liomys are members of the rodent family Heteromyidae and are grouped with the genus Heteromys in the subfamily Heteromyinae. The genus Liomys has a rather broad geographic distribution that extends from Texas to Panama and consists of five recognized species: L. irroratus, L. pictus, L. spectabilis, L. salvini, and L. adespersus.

Virgin Anasazi Research And Exhibition, Samantha Annette Bonser, Dr. Marti L. Allen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Rise Up from Fragments features the largest collection of Virgin Anasazi artifacts from one site. Until recently, this prehistoric group had remained in the shadow of more visible branches of the Anasazi such as Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon. Now, it is fast becoming the focus for archaeologist researching in the southwest. Located at a natural crossroads near Kanab, Utah, the artifacts from the Talbot site offer new insights to the Virgin branch of the Anasazi and their interactions with the groups around them.

Most Maimonides: A Study Of How Islamic Society Helped To Produce Judaism’S Most Influential Philosopher Of The Middle Ages, James Duncan Gilchrist, Dr. Glen Cooper

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Mahmood Darwiish, a contemporary Palestinian poet, described what Al-Andalus (an area of Muslim Spain, now called Andalusia) meant to its last inhabitants before the Spanish reconquista, in his poem, In the Last Night upon this Land. He describes it as a beautiful country of mountains and clouds, on the brink of occupation by invaders from afar. Although a long siege had been fought, fate ultimately transferred ownership to the invaders. Unprepared to depart, yet forced to by circumstances, Darwish offers a strange hospitality to the invaders as if he himself was a resident at the time. He invites them to …

You Can’T Fire Me; I Quit! South Africa And The Common Wealth Nations, Audrey Spear, Dr. Douglas F. Tobler

Journal of Undergraduate Research

On March 3, 1961, the South African Prime Minister, Dr. Hendrik Verwoerd, departed for a Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ Conference in London in high spirits. By 1961, the inclusion of independent states in the British Commonwealth of Nations was an established principle, and there was no reason to suppose that they would deny South Africa membership in that body because of her new republican status. Nevertheless, he returned later that same month, having withdrawn South Africa’s applications for membership. This was merely one step in South Africa’s troubled path from a pillar of the Allied cause to a pariah in international …

“The Role Of Gaba Electrical Networks In Brain Stimulation Reward”, Seth Gunderson, Dr. Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The basis for my project is predicated on the rewarding properties of alcohol and other substances of abuse. We set out to further our understanding the neural system that is involved in intracranial self stimulation (ICSS) and how this system is mediated by γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons. Studies involving intravenous self administration (SA) of opiates and psychostimulants have identified specific neural substrates that mediate the reinforcing actions of these drugs and they constitute part of the same central nervous reward system that has evolved for mediating natural motivated behaviors, the mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) system.1,2

Cultural Traditions And Public Policy: The National Film Board Of Canada’S Aboriginal Filmmaking Program, Meredith A. Bak, Dr. Dean Duncan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My project consisted of an in depth analysis of the National Film Board of Canada’s Aboriginal Filmmaking Program, to lead to the eventual publication of a feature-length article presenting the program as a model by which media literacy can be taught by exploring the work of a specific region in order to increase global communication. Initially, I had planned on traveling to Canada to conduct interviews with a variety of artists and policymakers, however, upon completion of preliminary research and based on the information offered by my Canadian contacts and my faculty mentor, I restructured my methodology to include primarily …

Cell-Free Unnatural Amino Acid Incorporation With Alternative Energy Systems And Linear Expression Templates, Prashanta Shrestha, Mark Thomas Smith, Bradley Charles Bundy

Faculty Publications

Site-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids (uAAs) during protein synthesis expands the proteomic code through the addition of unique residue chemistry. This field provides a unique tool to improve pharmacokinetics, cancer treatments, vaccine development, proteomics and protein engineering. The limited ability to predict the characteristics of proteins with uAA-incorporation creates a need for a low-cost system with the potential for rapid screening. Escherichia coli-based cell-free protein synthesis is a compelling platform for uAA incorporation due to the open and accessible nature of the reaction environment. However, typical cell-free systems can be expensive due to the high cost of energizing …

On Artichokes And Systems, Carin Olavson

Inscape

No abstract provided.

Borrowing The Essentials: A Diachronic Study Of The Semantic Primes Of Modern English, Karen Esther Swan

Theses and Dissertations

In order for communication to take place, there must be a set of core concepts that are universal to all speakers. Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) has proposed an inventory of these concepts, called semantic primes, and uses them as universal concepts in the explication and exploration of cultural values. The English semantic primes, while the majority are Anglo-Saxon, contain words that have been borrowed from Latin, Old Norse, and French. Borrowing lexical items into core vocabulary has many implications. First, the primes are not entirely stable or immune to foreign influence, even the Anglo-Saxon primes have been susceptible to the …

Sixteen Related Crises And The Limits Of Civilization In The 21st Century, Andrew Targowski

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Megacities: A Survey And Prognosis, Laina Farhat-Holzman

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

David J. Rosner, Conservatism And Crisi, The Anti-Modernist Perspective In Twentieth-Century German Philosophy., Laina Farhat-Holzman

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

The Textual Development Of D&C 130:22 And The Embodiment Of The Holy Ghost, Ronald E. Bartholomew

BYU Studies

The unique LDS doctrine of the embodiment of the Holy Ghost has a fascinating history. Ron Bartholomew looks at the text of Doctrine and Covenants 130:

"The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us."

The text went through several stages of development before arriving at its current wording and punctuation. This article details, step by step, the various modifications that were made …

Europe As A Civilization: The Revolution Of The Middle Ages & The Rise Of The Universities, Toby E. Huff

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

David J. Rosner, Conservatism And Crisi, The Anti-Modernist Perspective In Twentieth-Century German Philosophy., J. Randall Groves

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, Comparative Civilizations Review

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Richard Lynn And Tatu Vanhanen, Intelligence: A Unifying Concept For The Social Sciences., Michael Andregg

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Orlando Figes, Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History Of Russia., Mariana Tepfenhart

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

The Lot Smith Cavalry Company: Utah Goes To War, Joseph R. Stuart, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

In this chapter from "Civil War Saints" (2012, published by the Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center and the Deseret Book Company), Joseph R. Stuart and Kenneth L. Alford take a close look at the cavalry unit that was called to military service on April 28, 1862, at President Lincoln’s request. Their ninety-day period of service was the only unit-level active duty military contribution Utah Territory made during the Civil War. An earlier version of this paper, written by a student for the Library Research Grant Program, can be found here.

It Takes A Village: Investigating The Critical Role Clinical Faculty Play In Mathematics Teacher Education, Damon L. Bahr

Faculty Publications

The dispositions of preservice elementary education teachers toward reform-oriented mathematics education were surveyed before and after an extended pre-student teaching practicum. During the practicum, university and school-based personnel served a "clinical faculty" as they supported the preservice teachers' practicum experiences. The preservice teachers' perceptions of the clinical faculty's dispositions were also surveyed. Relationships between changes in the dispositions of the preservice teachers and their perceptions of the clinical faculty were discovered thus highlighting the important influence clinical faculty wield as mathematics teacher educators.

Orality, Social Memory, And The Apocryphal Acts, David M. Nielsen, Dr. Kristian Heal

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The corpus of texts that constitute the New Testament apocrypha is large, to make a gross understatement. It is a vast collection that spans the continents, languages, and centuries of the early Church and rightly so would take a lifetime to master. Originally I set out to see what we can learn about the office of the apostolate as seen through the lens of these acts. As I read I became increasingly interested in the idea of how these texts came into being and compositional issues in general. In the end my paper was still centered on how the apostleship …

Characterization Of Phase-Switching Genes In Photorhabdus Luminescens, Tj Bliss, Dr. Byron J. Adams

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Nearly every living organism derives benefit from living with one or more species of bacteria during some or all of its lifetime. Numerous studies have described the phenotypic benefit that each or either partner receives from associations of this kind, but the molecular mechanisms of such interactions have not been well described. Understanding beneficial bacterial interactions with their hosts are of interest in that information obtained will have implications in identifying mechanistic components of those interactions that may operate similarly in pathogens and can be exploited in combating infection or in describing the interactions between bacteria and more complex organisms …

Variable Interest Entity Disclosure A Look At Financial Firms And The Disclosure Of Vie’S, Brandon Seiter, Dr. Kay Stice

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In 2002 the FASB, which sets all accounting standards for US publicly traded companies, met with its international counterpart the IASB in what is know as the Norwalk Agreement. The two organizations released a joint statement announcing their intentions to create a project that would converge the two accounting standards. It was my goal to understand how the convergence process was coming along. Originally I planned to look at foreign companies’ 20-F forms, a reconciliation from their foreign GAAP to US GAAP. Unfortunately as I started looking at several 20-F forms I realized that only recently have companies adopted IFRS …

Overcoming Anthropogenic Impediments Of Reintroduced Bighorn Sheep Populations In North-Central Utah, Loren Chase

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) were historically abundant in many places in Utah, however, when the area was settled, humans brought with them many causes for bighorn extermination. Unregulated hunting, competition for resources by livestock, reduced water availability, reduce range quantity, home range encroachment, and the lungworm/pneumonia complex are all major reasons as to why the bighorns are threatened in the western states (Enk 2001, Karpowitz and Stewart 2000, Smith et al. 1988, Smith and Flinders 1992). The first two problems were handled at the socio-political level, by managing people rather than wildlife. However water scarcity persists, urban sprawl continues to …