Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Latent ;Toxoplasma Gondii; Infection Moderates The Association Between The C677t Mthfr Polymorphism And Cognitive Function In U.S. Adults, Andrew Nathan Berrett

Theses and Dissertations

Sufficient blood concentrations of folate and the products from its metabolism arenecessary for several cellular functions. The C677T MTHFR polymorphism, present in over halfof the U.S. population, reduces the efficiency of folate metabolism and has been linked to theonset of multiple psychiatric disorders and cognitive decline. The intracellular parasiteToxoplasma gondii can infect the human brain and is associated with increased prevalence ofpsychiatric disorders and cognitive decline. In vitro studies have found that Toxoplasma gondiimay salvage unmetabolized folate from host cells. Since the C677T MTHFR polymorphism andinfection by Toxoplasma gondii both affect folate metabolism or availability, I used data fromthe third …

News In Lights: The Times Square Zipper And Newspaper Signs In An Age Of Technological Enthusiasm, Dale L. Cressman Phd

Faculty Publications

During the latter half of the nineteenth century, when the telegraph had produced an appetite for breaking news, New York City newspaper publishers used signs on their buildings to report headlines and promote their newspapers. Originally chalkboards were used to post headlines. But, fierce competition led to the use of new technologies, such as magic lantern projections. These and, later, electrically lighted signs, would evoke amazement. In 1928, during an age of invention, The New York Times installed an electric "moving letter" sign on its building in Times Square. Popularly known as "the zipper," the monograph drew significant attention from …

Latent Toxoplasma Gondii Infection Moderates The Association Between The C677t Mthfr Polymorphism And Cognitive Function In U.S. Adults, Andrew Nathan Berrett

Theses and Dissertations

Sufficient blood concentrations of folate and the products from its metabolism are necessary for several cellular functions. The C677T MTHFR polymorphism, present in over half of the U.S. population, reduces the efficiency of folate metabolism and has been linked to the onset of multiple psychiatric disorders and cognitive decline. The intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii can infect the human brain and is associated with increased prevalence of psychiatric disorders and cognitive decline. In vitro studies have found that Toxoplasma gondii may salvage unmetabolized folate from host cells. Since the C677T MTHFR polymorphism and infection by Toxoplasma gondii both affect folate metabolism …

Acute Physiologic Stress And Subsequent Anxiety Among Family Members Of Icu Patients, Sarah J. Beesley, Ramona O. Hopkins, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Emily L. Wilson, Jorie Butler, Kathryn G. Kuttler, James Orme, Samuel M. Brown, Eliotte L. Hirshberg

Faculty Publications

Objectives: The ICU is a complex and stressful environment and is associated with significant psychologic morbidity for patients and their families. We sought to determine whether salivary cortisol, a physiologic measure of acute stress, was associated with subsequent psychologic distress among family members of ICU patients.

Design: This is a prospective, observational study of family members of adult ICU patients.

Setting: Adult medical and surgical ICU in a tertiary care center.

Subjects: Family members of ICU patients. Interventions: Participants provided five salivary cortisol samples over 24 hours at the time of the patient ICU admission. The primary measure of cortisol …

Can Stress Build Relationships? Predictors Of Increased Marital Commitment Resulting From The 2007–2009 Recession, Jeffrey P. Dew, Ashley Lebaron, David Allsop

Faculty Publications

Although some studies have examined factors that can help married couples maintain their relationship quality during financial stress, few have examined factors that might actually help marriages flourish during financial stress. This study examined participants’ reports of their commitment increasing because of the 2007–2009 Recession using dyadic data from a national sample of married couples. We found that religious marital sanctification, relationship maintenance behaviors, and social and financial support from family and friends were all related to both wives’ and husbands’ reports that their commitment had increased during the Recession. Wives who faced employment- or housing-related problems reported increased commitment. …

Helicobacter Pylori Moderates The Association Between 5-Mthf Concentration And Cognitive Function In Older Adults, Bruce L. Brown, Andrew N. Berrett, Shawn D. Gale, Lance D. Erickson, Dawson W. Hedges

Faculty Publications

Objective: To explore potential interactions between folate-cycle factors and Helicobacter pylori seropositivity in the prediction of cognitive function. Methods We used data obtained from the 1999–2000 continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey produced by the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Using Ordinary Least Squares regression, we tested for associations between multiple folate-cycle factors, Helicobacter pylori seropositivity, and cognitive function assessed by the digit symbol coding subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III. We then tested for interactions between each of the folate-cycle factors and Helicobacter pylori in the prediction of cognitive function.

Results: Although Helicobacter pylori …

Using Difference Scores To Inform Therapy Practice: Differences In Perceptions Of Attachment Behaviors Between Partners In A Clinical Sample, Joshua R. Novak, Jonathan G. Sandberg, Dean M. Busby

Faculty Publications

Using clinically relevant research methodology, this study focuses on differences (cross‐partner difference scores) in perceptions of attachment behaviors (emotional accessibility, responsiveness, and engagement) between partners in couples therapy. In general, findings suggest that higher levels of self‐enhancement attachment behaviors (participant perceives self as demonstrating more attachment behaviors than the partner's ratings of the participant) are associated with lower relationship satisfaction and greater relationship instability. The association between attachment behavior difference scores and measures of relationship health is mediated through partner perceived positive communication. These results suggest that differences in perceptions between partners’ level of attachment behaviors are an important clinical …

Rita, Rita, Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

Rita Alkhaledy grew up in Sadr City, a poor suburb of Baghdad. Her father is an Iraqi Arab and her mother was Kurdish Iranian. Her mother lived in fear that she would be cast out of Baghdad as being an outsider in Iraq was frowned upon. Her father served in the Iraqi army in the 80s and was gone a great deal, leading to a strained relationship. Their relationship was mended when her mother died from cancer.

After the Iraq war, Rita and her brothers realized that their lives were in danger. They had to move from house to house …

Mental Illness Among Refugees In The Middle East, Alyssa Clark, Will Hayden, Chloe Jensen

Ballard Brief

Refugees are particularly susceptible to mental illness because of the situations they are forced to flee and the uncertainty they face in new countries. Mental illnesses can keep refugees from living high-quality lives. Refugees, particularly in the Middle East, face many barriers to receiving treatment for mental illness. Destigmatizing mental illness and providing access to high-quality, culturally appropriate mental health care are key practices in treating mental illness among refugees.

Female Genital Cutting In Africa, Chloe Jensen, Evie Friedbaum

Ballard Brief

Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is the partial or complete removal of a female's external genitalia. Though it is practiced all over the world. FGC is particularly prevalent on the African continent. This procedure is most commonly done to girls at a young age; FGC creates negative physical health effects for the rest of their lives, and often causes trauma. Because of these negative consequences, the United Nations has officially stated that FGC violates basic human rights. However, many communities continue to practice female genital cutting for social and cultural reasons.

Good Enough To Love, Emma Croft

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

In rare moments, I recall the days of not caring. Imagine: when your favorite shoes were white, Velcro-fastened Mary Janes, worn with lace-trimmed socks and pink, striped Oshkosh overalls. When your hair--a golden curly mess that stood on end each day as you jumped from your bed--never bothered you until your mother tried to fix it, pulling at knots as you wailed and wept.

Women Vs. Men—Who Makes Better Use Of Financial Aid?, Colton Keddington, Nichole Keddington

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

No abstract provided.

The Economics Of Entrepreneurship, Leticia Camacho

Faculty Publications

Parker (Univ. of Western Ontario, Canada) analyzes the connection between economics and entrepreneurship. Specifically, he shows how academic studies such as economics, policy, and social issues relate to entrepreneurship. The book is organized in four parts: selection (theories, empirical methods, determinants, and evidence), finance (debt, venture capital, angel finance, crowd-funding, wealth, etc.), performance (growth, job creation, innovation, survival, etc.), and public policy (policies, regulation, taxation, etc.). At the end of each, a concluding section provides a summary, a list of opportunities for future research, an extensive reference section, and an index.

Full Issue

BYU Asian Studies Student Journal

No abstract provided.

Half The Sky, Or Half A Lie? Unfulfilled Promises To Women In Republican China, Rachel Finlayson

BYU Asian Studies Student Journal

When the Qing dynasty fell in 1912, Chinese nationalist and communist forces fought to gain power. Both groups looked to build their base of support among the socially repressed, which included women and peasants. Thus, women’s emancipation became a central issue, and it remained primary until 1924, during an era known as the May Fourth Movement (Lan and Fong 1999, p. ix). Nationalist and communist forces both promised women better lives, in terms of education, love in marriage, value in family life, a role in the revolution and social activism, and emancipation. Mao Zedong summarized the enthusiasm of the time …

Confucius Institutes: Expelling A Trojan Horse Or Looking A Gift Horse In The Mouth?, Michael J. Swain

BYU Asian Studies Student Journal

During the past ten years, China has actively promoted its Confucius Institute (CI), a program of instruction in Chinese language and culture for college students outside of China. The program’s stated purpose is to meet an existing demand for education in Chinese language and culture, with the intent of strengthening relationships between China and other countries in order to promote a more harmonious world. However, many have viewed the CI program as nothing more than an expansion of Beijing’s soft power. Some Western institutions have even expelled CIs from their campuses. The growing concern suggests that China’s offering of what …

China And The North Korean Refugee Crisis, Christina Ahn

BYU Asian Studies Student Journal

On 8 May 2002, shocking images of five North Korean refugees at a Japanese consulate in northeast China were captured. Although two members of the party—both men—successfully made it inside the consulate, two women and a child were dragged away from the gate of their safe haven by Chinese police (Gittings 2002). All five individuals were eventually detained—and though their fates remain unknown, it is likely they were immediately deported to North Korea, possibly the worst outcome for any North Korean defector.

Ukiyo-E: How Patterns In Edo Culture Shaped "The Floating World", Vanessa Hall

BYU Asian Studies Student Journal

Until the seventeenth century, it was exceedingly rare to find art depicting everyday Japanese life. It was only when artists began painting scenes from the street life in Yoshiwara, the red light district in the capital city of the time, that the popular school of art known as “Ukiyo-e,” a highly fashionable style of Japanese woodblock prints, was formed (J.E.L. 1914, pp. 1–4). Emerging from an era of Chinese philosophy that was against anything Japanese, early examples of Ukiyo-e were rare until Hishikawa Moronobu discovered a way to mass-produce the art through woodblock engraving prints, which ultimately established Ukiyo-e as …

Stories They Tell: The Rhetoric Of Recruiting Independent Consultants, Jacob D. Rawlins, Sarah E. Martin

Faculty Publications

This study investigates the themes that drive persuasive recruiting appeals, or stories, designed to attract new, entrepreneurial workers in the direct selling industry. It offers a rhetorical perspective informed by fantasy theme analysis on the themes present in the recruiting content on the corporate Web sites of three direct selling companies (Mary Kay, Stella & Dot, and Scentsy). The analysis indicates that rhetorical agency is a core theme in the persuasive recruiting stories for these companies. Offering a means for business and technical communication scholars to explore agency or other persuasive story themes in context, this study addresses how a …

Constructing Two Phonological Systems: A Phonetic Analysis Of /P/, /T/, /K/ Among Early Spanish–English Bilingual Speakers, Earl K. Brown, Mary T. Copple

Faculty Publications

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions: Many early Spanish-English bilingual speakers in the USA learn Spanish as their first language at home and English in school. This paper seeks to elucidate whether these speakers develop a separate phonological system for English and, if so, the role of primary and secondary cues in the development of the second language (L2) system.

Design/methodology/approach: The phonetic realization of the voiceless stops /p/, /t/, /k/ is analyzed among three groups: early Spanish-English bilinguals; L1 English speakers who are late learners of Spanish; and L1 Spanish speakers who are late learners of English. The participants (N = …

Ali, Ali, Twila Bird

TSOS Interview Gallery

At eighteen fate placed Ali and his family in the center of hostilities in northern Afghanistan. Warring militant factions killed hundreds of people in his village. Ali helped identify and bury dozens of his friends and neighbors in a mass grave.

We spent days and nights in the mountains and blocked on the borders. I crossed the mountainous border between Afghanistan and Pakistan walking with my handicap. Then it took us another sixteen hours to cross the border between Pakistan and Iran, also in very high mountains of more than 2500 meters. The Iranian police were killing people on the …

Sigma: Journal Of Political And International Studies

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

No abstract provided.

Improving The Bureaucracy: What Leads Government Officials To Use Evidence-Based Reports?, Nicholas Moffitt

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

No abstract provided.

Congress And The Benefits Of Social Media: A Low-Cost Investment In Constituency Approval And Electoral Success, Mandi Eatough

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

No abstract provided.

Who Is My Neighbor? Identifying Epistemic Peers Among Polarized Communities, Alex Hoagland

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

No abstract provided.

Jeanusnat, Jeanusnat, Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

Jeanusnat’s father, who was chief of a Nigerian community, was murdered by an enemy community. The murderer intended to kill Jeanusnat and his mother as well, but they fled to neighboring Niger. There, Jeanusnat parted ways with his mother, who stayed at the church with a family, and Jeanusnat crossed into Libya in the back of a truck. But once in Libya, danger persisted. He was confronted by some robbers who stabbed him with a knife and beat him, leaving injuries on his legs and shoulder. In Tripoli, a man offered him temporary refuge, where Jeanusnat stayed until he decided …

The Permanence Of The Shanghai Communiqué, David Whitesell

BYU Asian Studies Student Journal

Since 1949, the U.S. has had to face a major issue when interacting with China. This issue lies in the contest between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) based in mainland China and the Republic of China (ROC) based on the island of Taiwan for recognition as the legitimate government of China. Since 1979, U.S. policy has been to recognize formally the PRC as the official government of China. This recognition, which ended years of froideur between Beijing and Washington, was possible because of the previous decade of rapprochement, which was marked by the episode of “ping-pong diplomacy” in 1971, …

Clinging To The Past: Circulation Policies In Academic Libraries In The United States, Duane Wilson, Brian Roberts

Faculty Publications

This study reports on a national survey of circulation policies in academic libraries in the United States. Circulation policies are similar at most responding libraries and are typically restrictive, though some differences exist based on library type. Associates granting institutions tend to have less generous circulation periods, and PhD granting institutions tend to have more generous renewal policies. Despite dramatic changes in print use, libraries have typically not adjusted their circulation policies to reflect the current environment. Libraries should evaluate their circulation policies and seek for ways to provide more generous policies to better serve the needs of their patrons.

Assessment Of L2 Student Writing: Does Teacher Disciplinary Background Matter?, Grant Eckstein, Rachel Casper, Jacob Chan, Logan Kyle Blackwell

Faculty Publications

This preliminary study examines the rating behavior of five composition and five ESL writing teachers while evaluating a text from a university-level non-native (L2) English speaking student. Using an eye tracker, we measured raters’ dwell times and reading behaviors across four areas of interest—rhetoric, organization, vocabulary, and grammar. Results indicate that raters with differing disciplinary backgrounds read the text differently. L2 writing teachers tended to spend more time on and re-read the rhetorical, lexical, and grammatical features of the text while skipping over more of the grammar errors, while composition teachers read the text more deliberately. The findings suggest L2 …

The Gazetteer Of Southern Vowels, Joseph A. Stanley, Margaret E. L. Renwick, William A. Kretzschmar Jr., Rachel M. Olsen, Michael Olsen

Faculty Publications

The Linguistic Atlas of the Gulf States (LAGS) is a collection of archival recordings of interviews with 1121 speakers across the southern United States (Pederson, McDaniel & Adams 1986) which has been digitized by the Linguistic Atlas Project at the University of Georgia. The Digital Archive of Southern Speech (DASS) is a 64-speaker subset of LAGS, compiled by Lee Pedersen, that was designed to be socially balanced across 16 sectors of the South (Kretzschmar Jr. et al. 2013). DASS is currently being transcribed, processed, and analyzed at the University of Georgia (Olsen et al. forthcoming), and vowel formant measurements from …