Digital Commons Network^™

Biophysical Insight Into The Sars-Cov2 Spike–Ace2 Interaction And Its Modulation By Hepcidin Through A Multifaceted Computational Approach, Hamid Hadi-Alijanvand, Luisa Di Paola, Guang Hu, David M. Leitner, Gennady M. Verkhivker, Peixin Sun, Humanath Poudel, Alessandro Giuliani

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

At the center of the SARS-CoV2 infection, the spike protein and its interaction with the human receptor ACE2 play a central role in the molecular machinery of SARS-CoV2 infection of human cells. Vaccine therapies are a valuable barrier to the worst effects of the virus and to its diffusion, but the need of purposed drugs is emerging as a core target of the fight against COVID19. In this respect, the repurposing of drugs has already led to discovery of drugs thought to reduce the effects of the cytokine storm, but still a drug targeting the spike protein, in the infection …

Cultural Change And Threat Perception: Casual Implications On White Nationalist Beliefs And Outgroup Restricting Policies, Andrea Bellovary

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Cultural change is an inevitable aspect of life; however, how people react to cultural change can dramatically vary. Of particular interest to this analysis is how White Americans react to cultural changes occurring in the nation. Across three studies, I examined how White Americans may see cultural change, in the form of demographic change, as threatening and how these threat perceptions may influence their endorsement of White nationalism beliefs and support for outgroup restricting policies. This investigation found that White participants who read about real demographic changes occurring in the nation endorsed more threat perceptions (Study 1). Furthermore, there was …

Apoyo Deseado: The Role Of Parental Support For Latinx First-Generation College Students, Grevelin Ulerio

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Underrepresented groups, including ethnic and racial minorities as well as first-generation college students (FGCS), are less likely to attain a four-year college degree than their white counterparts. This is particularly true for Latinx youth that are often the first in their family to go to college. Existing research on the role of parental support in promoting retention among Latinx college students is mixed. The current study used a qualitative, longitudinal method to examine the perceptions of parental support among nine (9) Latinx FGCS attending a medium-sized private university in the Midwest region of the United States. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) …

A Strategic Audit Of Seaworld, Thomas Wolfe

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

A strategic audit of SeaWorld

Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere Changes Associated With The 2 July 2019 Total Eclipse In South America Over The Andes Lidar Observatory, Cerro Pachon, Chile, A. Liu, F. Vargas, G. Swenson, C. Segura, P. Vega, J. Fuentes, D. Pautet, M. Taylor, Y. Zhao, Y. Morton, H. Bourne

Publications

This article presents the results of a week of observations around the 2 July 2019, total Chilean eclipse. The eclipse occurred between 19:22 and 21:46 UTC, with complete sun disc obscuration at 20:38–20:40 UTC (16:38–16:40 LT) over the Andes Lidar Observatory (ALO) at (30.3°S, 70.7°W). Observations were carried out using ALO instrumentation with the goal to observe possible eclipse-induced effects on the mesosphere and lower thermosphere region (MLT; 75–105 km altitude). To complement our data set, we have also utilized TIMED/SABER temperatures and ionosonde electron density measurements taken at the University of La Serena's Juan Soldado Observatory. Observed events include …

Concerted Type I Interferon Signaling In Microglia And Neural Cells Promotes Memory Impairment Associated With Amyloid Β Plaques, Nicholas E Propson, Rupa Kanchi, Baiping Wang, Cristian Coarfa, Hui Zheng, Wei Cao

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The principal signals that drive memory and cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD) remain elusive. Here, we revealed brain-wide cellular reactions to type I interferon (IFN-I), an innate immune cytokine aberrantly elicited by amyloid β plaques, and examined their role in cognition and neuropathology relevant to AD in a murine amyloidosis model. Using a fate-mapping reporter system to track cellular responses to IFN-I, we detected robust, Aβ-pathology-dependent IFN-I activation in microglia and other cell types. Long-term blockade of IFN-I receptor (IFNAR) rescued both memory and synaptic deficits and resulted in reduced microgliosis, inflammation, and neuritic pathology. Microglia-specific Ifnar1 deletion attenuated …

Asthma And Technology In Emerging African American Adults (The Athena Project): Protocol For A Trial Using The Multiphase Optimization Strategy Framework, Angela J Jacques-Tiura

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Asthma causes substantial morbidity and mortality in the United States, particularly among African American emerging adults (AAEAs; aged 18-30 years), but very few asthma programs have targeted this population. Interventions that provide education and address underlying motivation for managing asthma may be the most effective. However, intensive face-to-face interventions are often difficult to implement in this population.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to develop an effective mobile asthma management intervention to improve control among AAEAs.

METHODS: We will assess the ability of multiple technologic components to assist and improve traditional asthma education. The first component is the …

Prevalence Of Anxiety And Depressive Symptoms In Ulcerative Colitis Patients In Jordan And Its Relationship To Patient-Reported Disease Activity, Awni Abu Sneineh, Sara Haj Ali, Ahmad Al-Masri, Amr Diab, Farah Aldweik, Mohammad Darweesh, Mohammad Qaisi, Osama Alshakhatreh, Tarek Tamimi, Yaser Rayyan, Radwan Banimustafa, Ibrahim M. Sablaban

Behavioral Health Articles

Inflammatory bowel disease is associated with higher rates of anxiety and depression compared to the general population. We aimed to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among patients with ulcerative colitis and correlation to disease activity. In this cross-sectional study, we collected data from 70 consecutive ulcerative colitis patients over one year at our inflammatory bowel disease outpatient clinic through an interview and a questionnaire containing patient demographics and disease characteristics. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were characterized using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 questionnaire and Patient Health Questionnaire-9, respectively, with ulcerative colitis disease severity assessed by the Partial Mayo …

Tungsten-Enhanced Breast Cancer Metastasis To The Bone Is Associated With Alterations In The Bone Niche., Cameron J. Chock, Alicia Bolt

Pharmaceutical Sciences ETDs

The objective of this thesis project was to investigate the effects of tungsten on breast cancer metastasis to the bone niche, using the 4T1 orthotopic breast cancer model. Oral tungsten (15 ppm) exposure did not affect primary tumor growth. However, following tungsten exposure there were marked changes in the bone niche, including increased metastasis of 4T1 tumor cells and increased osteolysis. Further analysis of the bone niche indicates that enhanced metastasis is associated with a pro-tumorigenic immune suppressive environment, including increased number of granulocytic myeloid derived suppressor cells and increased gene expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β and the activated …

Seasonal Variation And Tracking Of Climate Niche Of A Migratory Bird, Javier Gutiérrez Illán, Guiming Wang, D. Tommy King, Fred L. Cunningham

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Migratory birds inhabit different areas during breeding and non-breeding seasons. Depending on the time of the year, they may utilize different resources available in seasonal habitats, but also are subjected to changing climate regimes during their annual life cycle. Migratory birds may adopt ecological niche tracking to cope with different environmental conditions between breeding and non-breeding grounds. The American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, hereafter ‘AWPE’) is a short-distance migrant between the Gulf of Mexico coastal regions (nonbreeding grounds) and the Northern Great Plains (breeding grounds) of Canada and the US. The American White Pelican is a piscivore, feeding …

The Rise Of Neo-Fascist Populism And Islamophobia In The West, Mohamed Tawfiq Said Tabib

Dissertations and Theses

Trumpism can be defined as racist right-wing neo-fascist populism and nativism combined with a cult of personality. There is very little distinction between neo-fascists, the alt-right, and far-right groups. All can be identified by their socio-political philosophy and vehement beliefs of racial supremacy, ultranationalism, populism, xenophobia, nativism, and anti-immigrant sentiment, as well as being opposed to liberal Western democracy and its values. This thesis explores why there has been a popular international resurgence of far-right neo-fascist movements throughout the European Union and the United States and examines the impact on inter-group social and political relations with those of different racial …

Places To Live: A Multidisciplinary Approach To Modern Maya Houses In Yucatan, Mexico, Virginia J. Ochoa-Winemiller

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In 1938, Robert C. Wauchope’s Modern Maya Houses provided the first detailed description of traditional rural housing for the Maya area. Until today, no research has attempted to test Wauchope’s notion of cultural continuity in Maya domestic architecture from the prehistoric past up to the time of his pioneering study. By examining data from three municipios located in the state of Yucatan, Mexico, I compared contemporary information collected during visits to residential areas with that published by Wauchope in 1938. An integrated approach to data gathering and analysis, that is, a combination of interviews, questionnaires, archaeological survey, and geographic information …

Monolithically Integrated Microscale Pressure Sensor On An Optical Fiber Tip, Jeremiah C. Williams, Hengky Chandrahalim

AFIT Patents

A passive microscopic Fabry-Pérot Interferometer (FPI) pressure sensor includes an optical fiber and a three-dimensional microscopic optical enclosure. The three-dimensional microscopic optical enclosure includes tubular side walls having lateral pleated corrugations and attached to a cleaved tip of the optical fiber to receive a light signal. An optically reflecting end wall is distally engaged to the tubular side walls to enclose a trapped quantity of gas that longitudinally positions the optically reflecting end wall in relation to ambient air pressure, changing a distance traveled by a light signal reflected back through the optical fiber.

Cracking The Code On Melting Glaciers, Deanna Conklin

COD Library Student Research and Award Symposium

Cracking the Code on Melting Glaciers is about looking beyond the causes, effects, and solutions to the melting glaciers. This paper focuses more on how the glacial melt impacts arctic animals and their habitats, human life, and the surrounding environment we live in today. While we still have time to slow the rate at which these glaciers are melting, it's important to begin rebuilding our world, and our Earth to the way it once was. So that we can continue to grow, live, thrive, and sustain all living beings, without the worry of our Earth deteriorating before our eyes.

Faculty …

Gold & Jewelry: From Ancient Egypt To Hip-Hop, Ashley Kay Randle

COD Library Student Research and Award Symposium

Gold & Jewelry: From Ancient Egypt to Hip-Hop, argues that the importance, value, and sentiment of jewelry in ancient Egypt, is found in hip-hop culture. In ancient Egypt, all classes of Egyptians owned some gold or jewelry. As a religious practice, Egyptians wore jewelry for physical and spiritual protection. They even buried their dead with jewelry for protection in the afterlife. Today, similar importance is seen in Hip-Hop culture. In addition to jewelry being a status symbol for rappers, it is a way for them to express their religion, respect their dead, and express their sense of self-identity as successful …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Feeling Of Security And Access To Guns Among Brazilians Living In The United States, Natalia Ferreira Da Silva

COD Library Student Research and Award Symposium

Even after the 2005 Brazilian Firearms Referendum resulting in half of the population voting against gun control, Brazil has demonstrated a difficult environment for gun acquisition. Since the USA has a culture of firearms and has received thousands of Brazilian immigrants in past years, a qualitative research was made in order to identify what the perspectives of Brazilians living in the USA are toward gun acquisition.

Faculty Sponsor: Dustin French

Full Issue

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

No abstract provided.

New Byu Booth Debuts At Aar/Sbl Conference

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

In November, the Maxwell Institute teamed up with BYU Studies and the Reli- gious Studies Center to launch a new booth at the American Academy of Religion/Society for Biblical Literature annual meeting. The booth was designed by students and faculty at the BYU Adlab.

Journal Of The Book Of Mormon And Other Restoration Scripture: New Issue Released

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

The second issue of the Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture for 2012 features five articles that delve into aspects of words in the Book of Mormon. The cover design reflects that unifying theme and presents word in various languages and scripts.

Swensen Mentorships Awarded

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

The Russel B. Swensen Endowed Mentorship Fund was established by a generous gift from Elder Robert C. Gay to honor the BYU professor who was much beloved by Elder Gay’s father, William (Bill) Gay. The Swensen mentorships give students the opportunity to work with faculty at the Maxwell Institute in a mentored research environment. This year, Aubrey Brower and Emily Bateman were awarded mentorships to work on research projects with Kristian S. Heal, PhD, director of the Center for the Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts.

New Issue Of Studies In The Bible And Antiquity

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

Articles in the latest issue of Studies in the Bible and Antiquity range from the study of ancient Mesopotamian art to a contemporary meditation on one of Jesus’s most famous parables.

Moses, Captain Moroni, And The Amalekites, Matthew Roper

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

After Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage and crossing of the Red Sea, another enemy, the Amalekites, attacked the camp on its pilgrimage to worship God at Sinai. Moses, in response to this cowardly act, directed Joshua to fight them. For his part, Moses would stand atop a nearby hill holding the rod of God. “And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.” Moses, however, was tired and could not always keep his hands up, so “Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on …

Full Issue

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

No abstract provided.

Moses Maimonides’ On Hemorrhoids And The History Of Textual Reception, D. Morgan Davis

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

There are unpleasant topics, and then there are Unpleasant Topics. The latest volume to appear in the Medical Works of Moses Maimonides, On Hemorrhoids, seems the perfect occasion to modestly avert our attention from the actual subject of the book and consider instead the question of its reception. When referring to the reception history of an antique text, scholars have in mind the journey the text has taken. During its long life, what paths have a given text traveled, so to speak? By this we mean not just where has a given physical document turned up, but also where and …

More Crops, Less Drops? Agriculture And Climate Interactions Via Soils, Sonali Shukla Mcdermid

Sustainability Seminar Series

There is an increasing focus on reducing agricultural GHG emissions, while also facilitating cropping systems’ adaptation to climate change. Much of this combined agriculture mitigation and adaptation work centers on managed soils’ carbon and nutrient processes, and interactions with water. I will present two on-going projects evaluating agricultural soil-water-crop interactions and discuss implications for climate mitigation and/or adaptation. I will first describe new, on-going work using an integrated climate-crop modeling framework to Asia. Preliminary results suggest that while specific combinations of management options, including conservation water and soil management, can provide mitigation and adaptation benefits, several trade-offs may exist between …

Places Beyond Memory: The Affective Landscapes Of Bernardo Atxaga's Días De Nevada, Mark Pleiss

BOGA: Basque Studies Consortium Journal

This study highlights a heretofore-unexplored narrative device in Bernardo Atxaga’s fiction by highlighting how the author’s representation of spaces surrounding Reno and the Great Basin in Días de Nevada models what Berberich et al. (2016) call affective landscapes. The approach contributes to, and looks beyond, the traditional focus on memory in criticism of Atxaga, and it illustrates the story’s engagement with the emotional experiences of populations in the North American West that are not explored or rarely treated in the author’s other works. Finally, this paper contributes a new conceptual model to studies like Elena Delgado et al. (2016) that …

Creative Becomings: The Ongoing Definition And Redefinition Of Basque Identity In Uruguay, Martín Gamboa

BOGA: Basque Studies Consortium Journal

This article describes the presence of cultural traits of Basque tradition in the visual arts and Uruguayan literature of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Likewise, the research deconstructs the concept of “cultural legacy” applied in studies regarding multiculturalism in Uruguay. This approach implied a type of degradation at a cultural level, in which successive generations (first, second, third, and fourth) gradually lost their “original culture”. However, the cultural traits of the Basque ethnic group that appear in the visual arts and literature were shaped by the descendants of the first and second generations. The research demonstrates that certain cultural …

The Influence Of Origin Country Characteristics On Immigration Patterns: A Cross Examination Between Mexican And South Korean Immigrants, Joseph Mendoza

Culture, Society, and Praxis

No abstract provided.

Undergraduates And Sexual Wellness: How Do Undergrads Advocate For Their Sexual Well-Being?, Nikole Babcock

Culture, Society, and Praxis

No abstract provided.

The Social Life Of Violins: A Creative Exploration Of Entanglements And Actor-Network Theory, Benedetta Lombardo

Culture, Society, and Praxis

This paper uses fiction to explore anthropological concepts concerning material culture, entanglements, new materialism, agency and actor-network theory. In this article a fictive ethnographer encounters a violin who narrates its life- from its conception in the forest where it was part of an ecosystem, to taking form as a violin in a luthier’s shop and the skill negotiation that it entails as well as the effect on the human body, similar to Ingold’s theory of skilled practice, later following the violin until contemporary days as it gets exchanged as a precious good or sold as a commodity. The piece in …