Digital Commons Network^™

Cd6-Knockout Car-T Cells Display Enhanced Cytotoxicity Against Lymphoma Cell Line, Annie Larson, Alka Gaur, Nate Neyman, Collin Mickelson, K. Scott Weber

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2026

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells are genetically engineered T cells that target surface antigens on cancer cells, showing remarkable effectiveness in treating blood cancers [1]. However, CAR-T cells are currently not effective in treating solid tumors, as the tumor microenvironment poses physical and metabolic barriers to effective CAR-T cell function. A notable strategy for increasing CAR-T cell cytotoxicity in a tumor microenvironment is knocking out or overexpressing some genes of the T cell.

The 'Thing Itself': Virginia Woolf's Materialism, Kathryn Andronowitz

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

The Faith Crisis As Death: Grief In Gerard Manley Hopkins's "Terrible Sonnets", Kaden Nelson

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

The "Family Of Things": Mary Oliver, Anthropomorphism, And Conflicting Approaches To Spirituality In Nature, Sophie West

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

The Bower Of Bliss As An Allegory For Ireland, Katherine Ries

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

Objective Conditioning Via Latent-Factor Modeling, Kalman-Smoothing, And Hidden Markov Clustering: An Application To Empirical Asset Pricing, Melanie R. Neller

Theses and Dissertations

Empirical asset pricing relies heavily on conditioning sets--industry groupings, size buckets, valuation screens, and other researcher-defined partitions--to structure cross-sectional tests and portfolio construction. While intuitive, such partitions risk blending heterogeneous firms, masking latent exposures, and introducing omitted-variable bias. This thesis develops an objective, mathematically grounded conditioning pipeline that replaces subjective groupings with latent-factor extraction, Kalman-based data techniques, and probabilistic clustering via Gaussian hidden Markov models (HMMs). Using CRSP monthly returns, the framework stabilizes noisy return data, extracts systematic structure through principal component analysis (PCA), identifies homogeneous stock cohorts through HMM clustering, and models regime persistence using Markov transition matrices. These …

Music-Based Intervention For Stress And Sleep In Substance Use Recovery, Olivia A. Coleman

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Aim: Sleep difficulties and elevated stress are common among individuals recovering from substance use disorders (SUDs), often persisting long after initial detoxification. Music-based interventions offer a low-risk, nonpharmacological option that may support sleep and stress regulation. This study examined whether a Structured Music Listening Protocol (SMLP) could improve sleep quality and reduce perceived stress within a residential SUD treatment program.

Methods: Fifty eligible patients were enrolled in the Intervention Group (SMLP – Structured Music Listening Protocol) and fifty in the Control Group (Standardized Therapy) from a residential treatment center for SUDs. Both groups received standard therapy from the center. The …

Full Issue

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

The Metamodern Aesthetic As Reconciliatory Theology In Gilead, Henry Purser

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

Implementing A Problem-Solving Framework In Physics Tutorials For Upper-Division Electricity And Magnetism Students, James C. Hecht

Undergraduate Honors Theses

We study the effects of implementing a problem-solving framework in tutorials intended for use in upper-division electricity and magnetism courses. These tutorials were integrated into an electricity and magnetism course in Fall 2024, and were compared alongside a set of tutorials on the same topics which did not include the problem-solving framework. We performed a mixed-methods analysis on exam scores, interviews, and survey responses from students who were in the class. Students seem to prefer the tutorials that implement the problem-solving framework, and these tutorials seem to assist students with conceptual understanding somewhat; however, the qualitative data on conceptual understanding …

Electrochemical Sensors And Processes In Molten Salts: Chlorine Production, Electroanalytical Chemistry, And Thin-Layer Electrodes, Tyler Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Molten salt electrochemistry has historically played a substantial role in the metallurgical industry, and this trend is only accelerating in areas of green steel, direct ore processing, and rare-earth processing. In addition, the recent surge of interest in molten salt nuclear reactors has provided an additional application for molten salt electrochemical processes, including the reprocessing of used nuclear fuels and the development of electrochemical sensors for nuclear applications. In this work, the development of a chloride volatility separation process for used nuclear fuel is advanced; electroanalytical methods are improved for identifying and quantifying unknown analytes with and without the presence …

Scarcity Rewritten: Revenue Tracking As A Catalyst For Growth Mindset And Financial Control, Christian M. Pearson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

While revenue tracking is a widely recognized “best practice” for businesses in developed economies, it is far from a universal practice. In Cambodia and other emerging markets, many small business owners do not track revenue or expenses, which may limit their ability to make sound financial decisions and reinforce psychological responses consistent with chronic resource scarcity. This article examines the effects of a business support intervention in which Cambodian business owners participated in an 8-week program designed to help them calculate profits by tracking revenue, variable costs, and fixed costs. Findings from a randomized field experiment show that business owners …

Quantifying Regional Variation Of Lipid Metabolism In The Brain, Martin D. Sorensen

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) and its associated isoforms are the most significant genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The common alleles, APOE2/3/4, exhibit a protective/neutral/risk-inducing impact on sporadic AD development respectively. Our lab’s research focuses on APOE modification of the brain proteome and lipidome, with an emphasis on regional regulation and interest in assessing how APOE4 affects regulation differently between distinct regions of the brain. This thesis presents an analysis of cryosectioned brain samples harvested from young APOE knock-in mice. Using metabolic labeling with deuterated water, we measure turnover and dietary sourcing of lipids. We observe significant differences in …

An Appalachian Expression Of Rootedness: Exploring Rootedness In The Writings Of Simone Weil And Wendell Berry, Luke Bratton

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

The Evolution Of Science And The Transformation Of Human Understanding: Toward A Generative Framework Of Learning And Reality, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Spiritual Proficiency

This essay argues that the development of science can be understood not as linear accumulation, but as a sequence of structural transformations in human understanding. Such a view aligns with a generative framework in which knowledge is not passively received or merely constructed, but emerges through dynamic interactions that reorganize cognitive and experiential structures. By situating this framework within the history of science, we can better understand both the nature of scientific progress and its indispensable role in human development.

Promoting Student Engagement In Science Education: A Review Of Research-Based Approaches, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Spiritual Proficiency

Student engagement remains a central concern in science education. Across decades of research, educational scholars have proposed various frameworks to enhance learners’ interest, motivation, and deep understanding. This paper reviews major contributions from ten influential researchers and synthesizes key principles for designing engaging science learning environments. The analysis shows that effective science education emphasizes active participation, inquiry, cognitive challenge, social interaction, and meaningful application. These findings support a broader view of learning as a transformative process rather than mere knowledge acquisition.

The Synthesis Of Truth: Integrating Research-Based Science Education With The Restored Gospel At Brigham Young University, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Spiritual Proficiency

Modern science education identifies six core principles for student engagement: active participation, inquiry, cognitive challenge, social interaction, meaningful context, and balanced guidance. While these principles are validated by secular research (e.g., Piaget, Vygotsky, Kolb), their implementation at Brigham Young University (BYU) takes on a unique dimension through the lens of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. This paper argues that effective science education at BYU is not merely a pedagogical strategy but a spiritual imperative. By synthesizing scientific inquiry with divine revelation, learners transition from passive recipients of information to active agents of discovery, fulfilling the prophetic mandate to "seek …

Learning As Becoming: A Restored Gospel-Based Reinterpretation Of Scientific Discovery And Human Growth, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Spiritual Proficiency

For many educators of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, a persistent dissonance exists between the secular textbooks we utilize and the restored truths we cherish. Traditional science often presents the universe as a closed, material system where learning is merely the acquisition of data. However, as we align our academic pursuits with the light of the Restored Gospel, we discover that scientific inquiry is not independent of spiritual growth. Rather, it is a primary mechanism through which we experience a fundamental shift in our very nature—moving from "knowing" to "becoming."

De Aquí Y De Allá: Exchanging Language And Visual Culture In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Chloë M. Robinson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examines graphic design in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) as a site of cultural hybridity, shaped by transnational histories and bilingual practice. It explores how Mexican and Anglo design markers intersect and are negotiated in daily life through analysis of 2,180 visual artifacts, interviews with ten local creatives, and a survey of fifty residents. Historical research traces influences like nineteenth-century wood type and rótulo signage to contemporary advertising. Interviews reveal that local creatives navigate hybrid identities through code-switching, bilingual fluency, and borderlands experiences. Survey results show that participants’ language preferences predict how they categorize and rank typographic …

Within Sacred Walls: Cloister Architecture And The Virgin Mary As The Hortus Conclusus In 14th- And 15th-Century Italian Art, Catherine Howard

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The practice of cloistering allows women to exist in spaces dedicated to meditation and religious devotion. The physical nature of the cloister, which involves walls separating these religious women from the world, maintains a distinction between the cloister as spiritual and the world as secular.

One of the many titles of the Virgin Mary is the hortus conclusus, or “walled garden.” This metaphor is intended to emphasize her spiritual separation from the sins of the world, as well as her perpetual virginity. Artistic depictions of the Virgin in this role, particularly from Italy in the 14th and 15th centuries, often …

Optimizing Sacrificial Core Formation In The Fabrication Of Nanopore Biosensors, Ephraim Ong

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study is part of an ongoing project to create a universal diagnostic tool using nanopore technology. Diagnosis of disease and other conditions of the body can often be linked to biomarkers such as the RNA sequence of a disease-causing virus.

The nanopore method for detecting biomarkers requires a microfluidic device designed to concentrate a large quantity of biomarker carrier beads near the detecting nanopore. Hollow channels which can conduct fluid and small particles are well used in the field of microfluidics. Many methods exist to fabricate microfluidic channels, however the nanopore method requires a channel with a thin solid-state …

The Capitol’S Punishment: A Disability Theory Reading And Analysis Of The Hunger Games Series, Brynne Farnsworth

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper analyzes how disability is treated in The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. Through a close analysis of the variety of perspectives on disability, Collins presents the Capitol as having an othering, dehumanizing approach to disability, while District Thirteen makes some accommodations but ultimately reveals itself to have a similar point of view as the Capitol. While not perfect, the perspective of the Districts prevails through its approach of empathy and connection and implies a hope for a society that draws on those connections over divisions. Collins also overarchingly promotes hope for those with disabilities throughout the series …

Fostering Audiation In Band Through Modeling Videos, Zachary T. Larsen

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Within band classrooms, teachers have a dual responsibility to nurture students’ growth on their primary instrument and cultivate their ability to audiate. While established pedagogical traditions effectively support the teaching of primary instruments, comparable frameworks for cultivating audiation in band settings remain underdeveloped. This project provides band teachers with scaffolded modeling videos designed to bridge this pedagogical gap and support students' development of audiation.

Buffered Strength: A Narrative Review Of Beta-Alanine Supplementation In Weightlifting And Resistance Training, Ian Brunson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid synthesized endogenously through hepatic metabolism of uracil and obtained in small amounts from dietary sources. In skeletal muscle, beta-alanine combines with histidine to form carnosine, a dipeptide that functions as an intracellular buffer. Beta-alanine is commonly used as a dietary supplement and is frequently included in pre-workout formulations as an ergogenic aid for high-intensity exercise. Beta-alanine supplementation increases intramuscular carnosine concentrations, which may enhance intracellular buffering capacity by regulating hydrogen ion accumulation and delaying fatigue during intense activity.^1,2 Although much research has examined beta-alanine supplementation in endurance, sprinting, and repeated high-intensity exercise contexts …

On The Generality Of Ground, Hannah M. Kunkel

Undergraduate Honors Theses

It is widely held that true grounding claims are general. That is, individual grounding facts are subsumable under general patterns or principles of ground. In this paper, I advocate a novel position in the theory of ground on which particular grounding facts do not generalize to yield patterns of ground. This is not an argument for grounding pluralism, but is analogous to particularist views in metaethics which hold that moral principles are not general, but particular. If true, particularism about ground dissolves a serious challenge to the theory of ground, Louis deRosset's connection problem for non-reductivism. However, rejecting the generality …

The Story Of Belonging: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Transformative Storytelling As A Catalyst For Belonging, Kennedy Kleinman

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines how transformative storytelling functions as a catalyst for belonging within institutional contexts, focusing on Brigham Young University (BYU). While institutions increasingly prioritize belonging through policies and programs, many students continue to experience isolation, loneliness, and belonging uncertainty. This project argues that storytelling addresses this gap by providing students with opportunities to participate in their own belonging and contribute to feelings of belonging for other students. This study analyzes student stories developed in structured workshops and shared at BYU campus StorySLAM events. Stories are evaluated for their use of four rhetorical tactics: counter-narrative, bridge-building between ingroups and outgroups, …

Are You Listening?, Hanna H. Eyre

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the interconnection between music, religion, and a feminist lens in the form of a sixteen-song Christian album. The content of the music broaches topics specific to women’s issues including family dynamics, maternal mortality, and invisible labor while also covering more broad topics of repentance, developing a more nuanced relationship with the Savior, recognizing divinity in ourselves and others, and our Heavenly Mother. This paper includes the groundwork research and experiences that led me to write this album, the methods I took to write, record, and produce the album, and an analysis of how the music changed, and …

Understanding The Revolutionary Mother Through Emotive Expression In The Works Of Gioconda Belli, Brianna J. Stecher

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the struggle to reconcile the roles of the revolutionary mother as perceived in the emotive expression that the Nicaraguan author Gioconda Belli presents in her poetry. In her writings, Belli illustrates how the perceived responsibilities of a revolutionary woman to her country and her children come into conflict with one another. Furthermore, she showcases the emotions that a woman experiences in seeking to eliminate discord between her responsibilities while she finds a balance. Belli’s incorporation of her personal experience battling to balance these roles further strengthens her presentation of the revolutionary woman’s emotional conflict. The myriad of …

Beyond The Flames: A Comparative Analysis Of Wildfire Preparedness And Relief In California, Ej Smith

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Wildfires in California have devastated homes and communities, with the 2024–2025 Los Angeles fires ranking among the deadliest in state history, killing 31 people and burning more than 37,000 acres across densely populated neighborhoods. In response to these fires, fire services, municipal governments, and nongovernmental organizations coordinated immediate relief efforts across multiple jurisdictions. This research uses a multiple-case study approach to examine the Eaton, Palisades, Line, and Bridge fires to identify practices that supported life safety and response effectiveness, as well as challenges that constrained response operations. Findings indicate that when environmental conditions exceeded suppression capacity, response outcomes within responder …

Stacking Moves: How Digital Platforms Sequence Value Creation, Jonathan M. Dickson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines how large digital platform firms evolve by adding new platform types over time. Using the four-type framework developed by Bryce, Dyer, and Van Alstyne—transaction, connection, innovation, and collaboration—I trace the platform histories of seven firms: Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Tencent, and Alibaba. For each firm, I classify every qualifying platform event as a base platform, a stacking move (a new interaction that draws on an existing platform's users or architecture), or a standalone platform (a new platform that operates independently). Across seventy-plus events, four findings emerge:

1. Firms stack new platform types in predictable sequences shaped by …