Digital Commons Network^™

Inscribed Gold Plate Fits Book Of Mormon Pattern, John A. Tvedtnes

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

An inscribed gold plate 2.2 centimeters in length has been uncovered in a third-century ad Jewish burial. The burial, that of a young child, is located in a Roman cemetery in Halbturn, Austria. The news was released by archaeologists at the University of Vienna’s Institute of Prehistory and Early History.

Mesoamerican “Cimeters” In Book Of Mormon Times, Matthew Roper

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

The Book of Mormon first mentions a weapon called a cimeter during the time of Enos (some time between about 544 and 421 bc). Speaking of his people’s Lamanite enemies, Enos says, “their skill was in the bow, and in the cimeter, and the ax” (Enos 1:20). Later, in the first and second centuries bc, the weapon was part of the armory of both Nephites and Lamanites in addition to swords and other weapons (Mosiah 9:16; 10:8; Alma 2:12; 43:18, 20, 37; 60:2; Helaman 1:14).

Institute Supports Graduates And Undergraduates

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

The Maxwell Institute continues to encourage and support the work of graduate and undergraduate students through two funds.

New Series Launched With Book On Dna Research

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

In the last few years, the topic of how DNA research fits in with the text of the Book of Mormon has become increasingly divisive. On the one hand, critics of the Church seize on recent DNA studies to claim that Native Americans are descended from Asian, not Middle Eastern, ancestors. On the other hand, faithful LDS scholars, including some of the most respected DNA researchers in the country, say the data from recent research is insufficient to deny or confirm the claims of the Book of Mormon.

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.

Full Issue - Trauma Informed Approaches

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Learn more about the latest research of trauma informed care.

Trauma Defined: “Trauma is the experience of, or perception of, something disturbing or dangerous.” -Julie Karlinsey, LMT, CMHC

Trauma Statistics: “Estimates: six in 10 men and five in 10 women experience at least one trauma… in their lives. Trauma and distress can arise from a wide array of causes, including domestic violence, sexual assault, racism, bias, harassment, economic uncertainty, political division, and more. New challenges arise every day, and conflict and strife anywhere in our globally connected world affect us …

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 …

Analysis Of The Cytopathogenic Effect Of Different Hiv-1 Vpr Isoforms On Primary Human Cd4+ T Cells And A Model Cell Line, Jonatan Josue Fierro Nieves

Theses and Dissertations

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the causal agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a disease characterized by the depletion of CD4+ T cells which impairs immune response. Analysis of HIV-1 infected patients has identified two distinctive phenotypes that differ in length of time towards the development of AIDS, Rapid Progressor (RP) and Long-Term Non-Progressor (LTNP) patients. The cause of the differences between these two groups is a process that is still under investigation. Hints about a possible cause have been attributed to the discovery of mutations in the viral protein R (Vpr) that have been associated with these phenotypes: mutations …

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 …

Experimentally Measured Lumbar Skin Strains During Activities Of Daily Living, Andrew Gibbons, Paul Mcmullin, Darian Emmett, Ulrike H. Mitchell, David T. Fullwood, Anton E. Bowden

Student Works

Introduction: When mechanical stimulation of the skin, post-surgery, is kept at a minimum, the risk for hypertrophic scarring is reduced. Therefore, surgeons have utilized different tools for optimal scar outcomes such as cutting along or perpendicular to the Langers lines or collagen fiber orientation^1,2. However, biomechanical strains induced in the skin during activities of daily living (ADL) are the primary mechanism for suture opening, and increased awareness of these strains may provide informative insights to both pre-operative incision planning, as well as post-operative counseling with the patient regarding specific activities that may lead to wound re-opening.

Methods: Data …

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 …

An Analog For Large-Scale Lacustrine Deposits: 3d Characterization Of A Pleistocene Lake Bonneville Spit, Eli D. Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

Ultra-high-resolution subsurface stratigraphy mapped from 3D ground-penetrating radar (GPR) can provide insights into the fine-scale heterogeneity of reservoirs and other geologic features. Analog models derived from 3D GPR aid in understanding reservoir compartmentalization that may be sub-seismic but still affect fluid flow. We integrate 2D profiles and 3D GPR volumes with measured stratigraphic sections from outcrop exposure to characterize the fine-scale stratigraphy of an ancient Lake Bonneville shoreline deposit (locally, circa 20 ka based on carbon-14 dating) in the Great Basin (northwestern Utah). The heterogeneity of the deposit is expressed as multiple discordant patterns, separated by unconformities that likely were …

The Decline Of Two Native Fish In The Moapa (Muddy) River, Nevada, 2007–2015, Ronald B. Kegerries, Ronald J. Rogers, Zachary R. Shattuck, Brandon Albrecht, David J. Syzdek

Western North American Naturalist

Aquatic ecosystems in the American Southwest have experienced biotic and abiotic degradation, which have deleteriously impacted the native fish communities that have evolved in these systems. The native fish community in the Moapa (Muddy) River in Nevada faces many of these challenges, including changes in flow regimes, changes in temperature regimes, habitat fragmentation, and nonnative species introductions. By 2007, the only native fishes to occupy the Muddy River downstream of the warm, spring-fed headwaters were Virgin River Chub Gila seminuda and Moapa Speckled Dace Rhinichthys osculus moapae. From 2007 to 2015, biannual standardized hoop-net sampling of portions of 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 …

Fruits Of Maternal Love, Simona Ershova

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

Digital Painting

Me Too, Cidney Winterton

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

Mixed media, 24 x 36 inches

Help, Elizabeth Marie Cox

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.

Ana (A Work In Progress), Amanda Hellewell

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.

Life Giver Pantoum, Amy Griffin

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.

Yes ... But, Elizabeth Marie Cox

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.

From Divinely Equal To Violently Oppressed: Brutality Against Women In The Bible, Shana Clemence

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

The Old Testament tells us the first woman on earth, Eve, was created from the rib of the first man, Adam. To many, this symbolizes equality between the sexes. A historical theologian said, “to be formed from the side symbolically indicates equality rather than domination or subjection” (O’Loughlin, 1993). Wheelwright-Brown (2020) stated how the effect of mankind’s view of Eve’s brave choice to partake of the fruit of the tree of life had serious, harmful consequences for women:

There’s the effect it had on men, and the way they have been subtly influenced to perceive women and think of women. …

Broken Reflection, Jenny Carpenter

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

“B, grab me my napkin, why don’t you,” Jim says, leaning back into the plush, bloodred chair at Spanky’s. Spanky’s is hardly a dinner date—I mean, it’s a sandwich place.

But it’s what Jim wants. And what he wants, he gets.

Still, I hesitate, thinking about telling him to just snatch it up off the ground himself. I’m not his slave. The napkin’s right in front of him.

Twenty-Two, Amy Griffin

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.

On The Inside: A Small Collection Of Poems, Lauren Moss

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.

Inadequate Immigration System For Asylum Seekers At The Us-Mexico Border, Kyli Fox Soug

Ballard Brief

The history of immigration in the US goes back to its founding. However, in recent years, immigration trends at the US-Mexico border have gained media and political attention as more migrants flee to the border and face challenges as they seek refuge in the US. The inadequate immigration system has been exacerbated as legislation like the Migrant Protection Protocols and metering complicates the legal system and forces asylum seekers into border towns. Border patrol's misuse of resources and insufficient immigration data also contributes to the inadequate immigration system. Families and individuals seeking legal asylum at the border are being detained …

Renaming The Peak: Investigating The Effects Of Changing The Name Of Squ*W Peak On Native Women And Public Perceptions Of Native American Culture, Hannah Dixon

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

In light of the rise in public social activism and language justice in recent years, concerns about the name of Squ*w Peak, a mountain point near Provo, Utah, have surfaced due to “squaw” being an offensive term for Native American women. Looking at the effects of the peak’s current name on Native women, as well as its effects on non-Native perceptions of Native women and cultures, shows the potential implications of a name change for the peak. This paper draws on a review of the term’s linguistic associations, studies on potential psychological effects of microaggressions, and research on other effects …