Digital Commons Network^™

Fishing For Neurocircuitry: Identifying Multi-Sensory Integrating Neurons In The Optic Tectum Of Zebrafish, Logan Carson, Arminda Suli, Adeline Hamilton, Logan Carson, Karianne Jex, Erika C. Marks, Jordan T. Yorgason, Tracianne B. Neilsen

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

The superior colliculus (SC) is a mammalian midbrain structure involved in multimodal sensory integration and is implicated to have a role in neurodevelopmental disorders. Although the presence of multisensory integrating neurons (MINs) in the SC has been well documented by electrophysiology techniques, little is known about their morphological or molecular characterization. To identify and study MINs, we utilized SC’s non-mammalian homologous structure–the optic tectum (OT)–in the genetically tractable model organism zebrafish. In this process, we generated transgenic lines that allowed for fluorescent detection of neuronal activity by expressing the genetically engineered calcium indicators: cytoRGECO and H2B-jRGECO1a, respectively in mechanosensory hair …

Firing Properties Of Hgvp And Granule Cell Populations In Sensorimotor Pathways, Kate Shepard, M Eyring, Trace Stay

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

The vestibular ocular reflex (VOR) functions to keep the eyes stable during head movement. Previous studies have suggested that output from Purkinje cells of the flocculus called HGVP’s modify motor neurons that control the VOR (Kahlon and Lisberger, 2000). (below, Kan, University of Wisconsin)

Evolutionary Stasis In Life History Traits Between Xenophallus Clades Isolated During Pliocene Marine Incursions, Elias Johnson, Jerald B. Johnson

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Why do some species fail to evolve? The chiral livebearer, Xenophallus umbratilis, is found in Central America. Populations within this species have been isolated from each other for millions of years due to marine incursions, big rivers, and ecological filters downstream, leading to divergent clades (figure below). However, these isolated populations persist under similar ecological conditions, including the absence of predators and in similar headwater habitat types.

Evaluating Osmotic Seed Priming And Scarification Treatments For Improving Germination In Native Shrubs, Mallory Hinton, Matt Madsen, Megan Stevenson, April Hulet

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Evaluate the effectiveness of osmotic priming, scarification, and cold-moist stratification techniques to improve germination and seedling establishment in antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) and Mexican cliffrose (Purshia mexicana) (Fig. 1). These species were selected for their ability to provide vegetative structure in both low-elevation (antelope bitterbrush) and mid-elevation (Mexican cliffrose) rangelands, where they support biodiversity and ecosystem function. While their dormancy is typically broken through winter conditions, we aim to identify effective methods to accelerate breaking seed dormancy.

Erythrocyte Morphological Changes From Isosmotic Glucose Additions, Rees Stenson, Jared Roth, Robert Davis

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

To develop a non-invasive optical method for glucose monitoring, it’s essential to understand the changes in the scattering coefficient of in vitro whole blood due to glucose concentration, but the mechanisms causing these changes remains unclear. The difference in index of refraction between erythrocytes and the surrounding plasma suggests that a change in cell size or shape may lead to a shift in the scattering coefficient of whole blood. Through optical microscopy, erythrocyte morphology as a function of glucose concentration was measured.

Enhancing Rangeland Restoration With Native, Early-Seral Asteraceae Species, Samuel Leigh, Matthew Madsen, April Hulet

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Native early seral forbs play a critical role in rangeland restoration efforts, facilitating site preparation for late seral species while coexisting with invasive annuals.

• However, early seral forbs often exhibit dormancy traits which can complicate their effective use in restoration efforts.
• Seed treatments that circumvent dormancy adaptations may enhance the utility of these species in restoration practices.
• Breaking seed dormancy may improve seed establishment rates and allow restoration practitioners to time germination to coincide with ideal environmental conditions, increasing survival rate.

Epigenetic Reprogramming In Pediatric Tumors Predicts Active Pathways In The Tumor Microenvironments, Noah Moffat, Clark Tolbert, Colin Wessman, Matthew H. Bailey

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Figure 1: We collected samples from five different studies that analyzed and generated spatial transcriptomic data from adult and pediatric brain tumors1-4.

Engineering Chromoprotein Variants With New Colors, Anna Bowman, Joel S. Griffitts, Kyler Fullmer

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

No abstract provided.

Full Issue

Quidditas

No abstract provided.

Centering Maternal Breastfeeding In The Old English Metrical Charm 6, Kierra E. Burns

Quidditas

This article examines female authority and self-determination in relation to maternal lactation during early medieval England. While breastfeeding has always been essential to infant survival, its cultural significance extends beyond nourishment alone, reflecting broader social values and assumptions about gender and motherhood. Within this context, early English texts reveal that lactating mothers were regarded as natural authorities in the processes of childbearing and nourishing their infants. Through analysis of historical and literary evidence, this article argues that maternal breastfeeding was viewed in inherently positive and empowering terms with maternal self-determination and authority at the heart of that positivity. The article …

Review: Balthazar: A Black African King In Medieval And Renaissance Art, Karli R. Snyder

Quidditas

Western European medieval and Early Modem art history is full of representations of ethnically diverse peoples. However, there are relatively few examples of scholarly publications that coherently organize these visual representations into a complete analysis of the topic. One recent publication that aims to do just that is Balthazar: A Black African King in Medieval and Renaissance Art. The slim paperback boasts 121 full-color illustrations and features a collection of essays and narratives edited by museum curator Kristen Collins and art historian Bryan C. Keene. The book was published as a companion to the 2019 exhibition of the same …

Front Matter

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Seed Of The Serpent And The Seed Of The Woman In The Standard Works, Noel Hudson

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

The curse of the serpent in Genesis 3:15 is presented as an archetype for the battle between good and evil. An ancient Hebrew literary form that ties together multiple stories through a common set of images, situations, repeated words, and phrases, is termed a leitmotif. A biblical leitmotif based on the curse of the serpent in Genesis 3 and the curse of Cain in Genesis 4 is found throughout both the Old and New Testaments and is referred to as the seed of the serpent leitmotif. Hebrew prophets, early Christians, and protestant reformers all found the seed of …

Birth And Rebirth: The Fish In Mesoamerican Art And Its Implication On Stela 5, Izapa, Chiapas, Mexico, Diane E. Wirth

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

A revealing analysis of fish iconography in Mesoamerica, in relation to the ancestral couple on Stela 5, Izapa, Chiapas, Mexico, holds an unforeseen element that may reveal a key to the Tree of Life referred to in the Book of Mormon. This key is supported by Mesoamerican, Hebrew, and Egyptian traditions.

Trust Us, We’Re Lawyers: Lucas And Neville On The Translation Of The Book Of Mormon, Brant A. Gardner

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

In their book, James Lucas and Jonathan Neville present two major theses relative to translation of the Book of Mormon. The first is that the translation was always done by means of the interpreters that were delivered with the plates. The second is that Joseph Smith was an active participant in the translation process. A theory is laid out for how that might happen. Although this reviewer can agree that Joseph was an active participant in the translation, neither the first thesis nor their explanation of the second thesis can be accepted by those familiar with the historical record.

Through A Glass Darkly: Restoring Translation To The Restoration?, Jeff Lindsay

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

In By Means of the Urim & Thummim, James Lucas and Jonathan Neville valiantly seek to defend Joseph Smith’s role as the divinely inspired translator, a role that they argue is incompatible with using any tool other than the Nephite “intepreters,” later called the Urim and Thummim. They offer a unique theory to account for the statements of witnesses about Joseph using a seer stone in a hat, arguing that it was a fake demonstration using memorized passages to satisfy onlooker curiosity about the translation process. They propose a translation model in which Joseph did more than just get …

Public Support For War And Desertion, Joshua Delaigle

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

Since the beginning of war, soldier desertion has been an issue for military leaders and the politicians supporting them. Desertion from the United States Military is defined in Title 10 of the U.S. Code Article 85 as a member of the armed forces who goes or remains absent from his or her unit or place of duty with the intent to remain away permanently (“10 U.S. Code § 885”). Desertions lessen both unit cohesion and combat readiness, potentially changing the tide of a war. For these reasons, military leaders and academic researchers have been concerned with understanding the phenomenon of …

Front Matter

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Chapter 1: Book Of Mormon Animals, Matthew Roper

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Chapter 2: Warfare In The Book Of Mormon, Matthew Roper

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Chapter 4: Ancient Culture, Matthew Roper

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Chapter 5: Book Of Mormon Names, Matthew Roper

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Chapter 6: Old World Journeys By Land And Sea, Matthew Roper

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Chapter 7: Records, Writing, And Language, Matthew Roper

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Chapter 8: Events In Third Nephi, Matthew Roper

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Chapter 9: Concluding Observations, Matthew Roper

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Full Issue

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Flimsiest Show On Earth, Blake T. Ostler

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Every so often an anti-Mormon book comes along that lowers the bar for attacks on the faith. How the Book of Mormon Came to Pass is one such work. It relies on speculation, conjecture, and tenuous connections to render, out of whole cloth, a hypothesis for the Book of Mormon’s creation that is almost laughable.

A Fitting Tribute To The Prophet Of The Restoration, Steven L. Olsen

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Joseph Smith: A Life Lived in Crescendo is one of the most extensive and ambitious scholarly works on the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Its twenty-one essays address various issues relating to the culmination of the Prophet’s ministry. They provide diverse and profound insights worthy of examination by serious students of the latter-day Restoration.

Latter-Day Saint Theology And The Problem Of Evil, Val Larsen, Newell D. Wright

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

The classical formulation of God as the sole, self-existent Being and ground of all that exists poses a philosophical problem. If God is omniscient and omnipotent, why does evil exist? Why does he not save humankind from moral and natural evil? If we embrace the full set of classical assumptions of creedal Christianity, these questions have no satisfactory answer and God cannot be absolved of responsibility for evil. This paper reviews and rejects several classical and modern philosophical formulations that try to solve the problem of evil. It then argues that the problem of evil dissolves if we accept Restoration …