2009 Utah Conference on
Undergraduate Research
The Third Annual Utah Conference
February 20, 2009
WESTMINSTER COLLEGE
i
2009 Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research
The Third Annual Utah Conference
February 20, 2009
Sponsoring Institutions
Brigham Young University
College of Eastern Utah
Dixie State College
LDS Business College
Salt Lake Community College
Snow College
Southern Utah University
University of Utah
Utah College of Applied Technology
Utah State University
Utah System of Higher Education
Utah Valley University
Weber State University
Westminster College
Westminster College
1840 South 1300 East
Salt Lake City, Utah 84105
www.westminstercollege.edu/ucur
ii
2009 Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research
Steering Committee
University Of Utah
Jill Baeder
Steve Roens
Conference Chairs
Timothy Dolan, Conference Chair,
Westminster College
Carolyn Connell, Conference Co-chair,
Westminster College
Utah Campus Compact
Gary Daynes
Melissa Kincart
Committee Members
Brigham Young University
Nancy Davis
Utah State Board Of Regents
Teddy Safman
College Of Eastern Utah
Michelle Fleck
Michael King
Utah State University
Joyce Kinkead
Davis Applied
Technical College
Ginger Chinn
Joann Matern
Utah State University at Unita Basin
Lianna Etchberger
Utah State University at Ephraim
Susan Talley
Dixie State College
Theda Wrede
Utah State University at Roosevelt
David Law
Mcnair Program
Jo Hinsdale
Utah Valley University
Frankie Jensen
Loretta Palmer
Salt Lake Community College
Joe Gallegos
Weber State University
Amy Douangdara
Lauren Fowler
Snow College
Susan Talley
Brad Winn
Westminster College
Carolyn Connell
Timothy Dolan
Southern Utah University
Lynn White
iii
2009 Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research
Friday, February 20, 2009
Schedule of Events
8:00–8:45 amRegistrationEmma Eccles Jones Conservatory, Tanner Atrium
8:45–9:00 am Welcome
Vieve Gore Concert Hall
Cid Seidelman, Provost, AVP,
Westminster College
9:00–10:30 amOral Session A
Various Locations
10:00–NoonAM Poster SessionEmma Eccles Jones Conservatory, Tanner Atrium
10:40–11:55Oral Session B
Various Locations
Noon–1:00 Pm Lunch-Student PanelEccles Health, Wellness, and Athletic Center
Behnken Field House
1:00–2:00 PmOral Session C
1:15–3:15 Pm
Various Locations
PM Poster SessionEmma Eccles Jones Conservatory, Tanner Atrium
2:00–3:00 Pm Science Center PreviewFoster Hall Faculty Lounge (Room 218)
Come have coffee with Arts & Sciences Dean Mary
Jane Chase, and see the plans for Westminster’s
Gold LEED-certified Science Center.
2:10–3:10 PmOral Session D
Various Locations
3:00–4:00 Pm Closing ReceptionEmma Eccles Jones Conservatory, Tanner Atrium
Mary Jane Chase, Dean, Arts and Sciences,
Westminster College
iv
2009 Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research
Table of contents
Letter from the President............................................................................................................. i
Sponsoring Institutions.............................................................................................................. ii
Steering Committee...................................................................................................................iii
Schedule of Events..................................................................................................................... iv
UCUR Student Panel....................................................................................................................v
UCUR Oral Session Guidelines...................................................................................................v
Oral Sessions
Oral Sessions A......................................................................................................... 1
Oral Sessions B......................................................................................................... 7
Oral Sessions C.......................................................................................................12
Oral Sessions D......................................................................................................18
Poster Sessions
AM Poster Sessions.................................................................................................24
PM Poster Sessions.................................................................................................28
Oral Abstracts
Oral Abstracts A......................................................................................................32
Oral Abstracts B......................................................................................................69
Oral Abstracts C................................................................................................... 101
Oral Abstracts D...................................................................................................128
Poster Abstracts
AM Poster Abstract ..............................................................................................160
PM Poster Abstract...............................................................................................185
Index........................................................................................................................................208
Map.................................................................................................................. Inside Back Cover
UCUR Student Panel
Panel Moderator: Gary Daynes, Westminster College
Jennifer Marie Suflita received her Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in painting from
Utah State University. Her professional experience includes drawing instruction to Utah
State students during a study abroad to Germany, as well as lecturing at both Brigham Young
University and the University of Utah.
Sarah Farnsworth is working on her PhD in neuroscience at the University of Utah. She
received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology/ Zoology from Weber State University.
Among other honors, she is the recipient of the American Association of Pharmaceutical
Scientists AFPE Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Award.
John Calder graduated from Utah Valley University in 2007 with a degree in Integrated
Studies with emphases in earth science and philosophy. He is currently working towards a
MS in wildlife and wildlands conservation in the Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences
at Brigham Young University.
Dusty Moore graduated from Westminster College in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science degree
in biology. He will be starting his PhD in biomedical engineering in the fall of 2009. He
spent the summer in Lausanne, Switzerland as the result of winning a ThinkSwiss Fellowship
to perform stem cell research.
James Tucker graduated from Lewis and Clark College with a Bachelor of Arts degree
in physics and a minor in mathematics. He completed his pre-med coursework at the
University of Utah and is currently working on his PhD/MD at the University of Utah. He
works at the Moran Eye Center doing retinal research.
UCUR Oral Session Guidelines
1.Oral session presentations should start on time!
2.Each presenter is allowed 15 minutes (12-13 minutes for the presentation, 2-3 minutes
for questions and answers and transition to the next presenter).
3. It is important to adhere to the presentation schedule for your oral session. If a
presenter is not present at her/his designated time, please do not move to the next
presenter until his/her designated time. Instead, you can use the time for further
discussion on topics relevant to the session.
4. Please be considerate when entering a session already underway; try to cause as little
disruption as possible. When possible, it is best to stay for an entire session.
5. Cell phones should be off!
Suggestions for Moderators:
1. Please arrive 15 minutes before the start of your oral session.
2. Please introduce each presenter, and moderate question/answer times.
3. We will provide one, two, and three minute time card reminders to assist in
timekeeping for the presentations. Presentations must not exceed their time limit.
v
Oral Sessions A
Oral Session A1
9:00–10:30 AM
Oral Session A2
9:00–10:30 AM
Key: Time, Title of Project, Student
Presenter, (Mentor), School
Interdisciplinary-Multicultural
Moderator: Alexander M. Panin, Utah
Valley University
Converse B1
Fine Arts
Moderator: Sean Desilets,
Westminster College
Converse 202
9:00–9:15 am
Sleep Habits and Academic Performance in
Secondary Schools in Mukono, Uganda
William C. Baldwin (Julie M. Hite),
Brigham Young University
9:00–9:15 am
Making Film
Colin McDermott (Connie Wilkerson),
University of Utah
9:15–9:30 am
Miriam’s Song: A Powerful Voice
Kathy Gubler (Sue Bennett), Dixie State
College
9:15–9:30 am
Workshops with the Dramaturge
Janna L. Grass (Christopher Clark), Utah
Valley University
9:30–9:45 am
Decoration under Fire: A Discussion on the Use
of Pompeian Frescos as a Dating Technique
Megan E. McShane (Jaime Bartlett),
Brigham Young University
9:30–9:45 am
Results from 2008-2009 UVU Music, Dance,
and Cognition Survey
Rachel K. Hicken (Ron J. Hammond), Utah
Valley University
9:45–10:00 am
Intergenerational Language Attitudes and
Vitality: The Navajo Language Shift
Jesse Egbert (Wendy Baker), Brigham Young
University
9:45–10:00 am
Rape as Spectacle in Hollywood Cinema
Ashley M. Robertson (Jans Wager), Utah
Valley University
10:00–10:15 am
A Comparative Study: Language Attitudes and
Linguistics Practice in Amazonian Ecuador
Bradley B. Miller (Janis Nuckolls), Brigham
Young University
10:00–10:15 am
Karl Friedrich Schinkel: Theatrics of
Nationalism
Allison Slighting (Heather Belnap Jensen),
Brigham Young University
10:15–10:30 am
A Comparison of What Adult Ugandan
Community Members Consider to be Important
Historical Events and What Historical Events
are Actually Being Taught to Ugandan Students
Tali C. Whittemore (Julie M. Hite), Brigham
Young University
Oral Sessions A
Oral Session A3
9:00–10:30 AM
Social Science-Religion
Moderator: Mark Rubinfeld,
Westminster College
Converse B18
10:00–10:15 am
Traces of Ancient Roman Paganism in Modern
Day Spain
Meradith M. Christensen (Greg Briscoe),
Utah Valley University
9:00–9:15 am
Peace and Conflict: The Relationship between
Religion and Perceptions of War: A Salt
Lake City, Utah Study of Four Christian
Denominations
Melissa Aldape (Laurence Loeb), University
of Utah
10:15–10:30 am
What is a Juggalo? A Function Alternative to
Religion
Ashley R. Davis (Mark Rubinfeld),
Westminster College
9:15–9:30 am
Dream Archetypes: A Jungian Dream Analysis
of the Visionary Accounts of Three Medieval
Beguine Mystics
Joseph Christian Straubhaar (Michelle
James), Brigham Young University
9:30–9:45 am
Family Struggles are Not Unique to Our
Generation: Polygamy in the New Era and
Ensign Magazines of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints in the 1970s
Miriam Washburn (Rebecca L.
DeSchweinitz), Brigham Young University
9:45–10:00 am
Bled Together: The Parallels and Unions of the
Dimensionally Separated Worlds of
Mormons and Vampires
Holly K. Guile (Karin Anderson), Utah
Valley University
Oral Sessions A
Oral Session A4
9:00–10:30 AM
Oral Session A5
9:00–10:30 AM
Education
Moderator: Jeffrey W. Bulger, Utah
Valley University
Gore 106
Psychology
Moderator: Lesa Ellis, Westminster
College
Room: Gore 107
9:00–9:15 am
Patterns in the Way Children Choose Their
Friends
Emily Furse (Genan Anderson), Utah Valley
University
9:00–9:15 am
The Single Woman and Fundamental Christian
Norms
Lanora Nielson, (Wayne Shamo) Dixie State
College
9:15–9:30 am
Does Westminster’s English Program
Accomplish Its Goals? A Qualitative Approach
Kendall J. Van Horssen (Chris LeCluyse),
Westminster College
9:15–9:30 am
False Friendships: The Use of and Immorality
of Networking by Students for Admission into
Graduate School
Hans Romo (Michael Popich), Westminster
College
9:30–9:45 am
Explaining Variation in Accentedness among
Adult English-speaking Learners of Russian
Lanise G. Thompson (Jane Hacking),
University of Utah
9:30–9:45 am
Breaking the Silence with SchoolTipline
Maren M. Dennis, Ashlee Villordo (Betty Y.
Ashbaker), Brigham Young University
9:45–10:00 am
Youth Voice in Service-learning at the Middle/
High School Level
Shanna Bylund (Carol Albrecht), Utah State
University
9:45–10:00 am
Forgiveness, Empathy, and Self-esteem:
Relationships to Pro-social Behavior
Sealtiel A. Tinajero (Jeff Elison), Southern
Utah University
10:00–10:15 am
Competitive Effects of Charter Schools: A Crossstate Analysis
Daniel Argyle (Joseph Price), Brigham
Young University
10:00–10:15 am
School Violence and the Mitigating Effects of
Bullying and Humiliation
Layne R. Oyler, Cami L. Sorenson, and
Twila R. Kay (Jeff Elison), Southern Utah
University
10:15–10:30 am
The Role of Elementary Education in American
Society
Leah Bulger (Joylin Namie), Utah Valley
University
10:15–10:30 am
Recovery Project
Jason R. Katzenbach, Anna N. Cariello,
Jason C. Basinger, and Weston V.
Donaldson (Robert Gleave), Brigham Young
University
Oral Sessions A
Oral Session A6
9:00–10:30 AM
Environmental Science
Moderator: Steven H. Emerman,
Utah Valley University
Room: Gore 205
9:00–9:15 am
Rocks of the Divisadero Tuff, Sierra Madre
Occidental Volcanic Field, Mexico, and their
Relationship to Water-well Productivity
Robert C. White (Michael P. Bunds, Steven
H. Emerman, and Joel A. Bradford), Utah
Valley University
10:15–10:30 am
I Can’t Believe People Drink This: Providing
Clean Water to a Small, Thirsty Village in
Mexico
Connie Richardson and Archie Craig (Joel
A. Bradford, Michael P. Bunds, and Steven
H. Emerman), Utah Valley University
9:15–9:30 am
Groundwater Recharge by Red Pine Lake, Little
Cottonwood Canyon, Utah
Chris L. Jensen (Steven H. Emerman), Utah
Valley University
9:30–9:45 am
Arsenic and Other Heavy Metals in Swimming
Pools Fed By Hot Springs
Kevin A. Rey, Robert C. White, Salem M.
Thompson, and Becky Y. Curtis (Steven H.
Emerman), Utah Valley University
9:45–10:00 am
Hydrologic Survey of Copper Canyon, Mexico:
Water Chemistry
James P. Durand, Mallory A. Palmer, Ryan
B. Anderson, Tracy L. Kemp, and Connie K.
Smith Barnes (Steven H. Emerman, Michael
P. Bunds, and Joel A. Bradford), Utah Valley
University
10:00–10:15 am
Potential Development of a Perched Aquifer in
Shallow Basalt Flows on a Pleistocene Shield
Volcano, Tamaula, Guanajuato, Mexico
Kevin A. Rey and Connie K. Smith Barnes
(Michael P. Bunds, Steven H. Emerman, and
Joel A. Bradford), Utah Valley University
Oral Sessions A
Oral Session A7
9:00–10:30 AM
Oral Session A8
9:00–10:30 AM
Philosophy: Ethics
Moderator: Michael Popich,
Westminster College
Gore 206
Social Science
Moderator: Mikaela Dufur, Brigham
Young University
Gore 228
9:00–9:15 am
Ethical Issues Surrounding Genetic Intervention
Roger Aboud (James Tabery), University of
Utah
9:00–9:15 am
The Correlation Between Homosexual Mormon
Youth and Suicide
Brian K. Nielsen (Dennis Wignall), Dixie
State College
9:15–9:30 am
Efficiently Protecting Privacy and
Confidentiality
David R. Kincaid (Leslie Francis), University
of Utah
9:15–9:30 am
Lifestyle Changes Related to Health and Wellbeing Following Native Hawaiian Migration
from Hawaii to Las Vegas
Elizabeth C. Newson (Jane H. Lassetter),
Brigham Young University
9:30–9:45 am
Principlism Applied to the Military’s
Responsibility of Care
Craig L. Bounous (Jeffrey W. Bulger and
Elaine Englehardt), Utah Valley University
9:30–9:45 am
Transformation at Death: American Mortuary
Preparatory Procedures Effect a Rite of Passage
for the Deceased
Ty J. Kenworthy (John Hawkins), Brigham
Young University
9:45–10:00 am
The Croatian Holocaust and the Weapon of
Forced Conversations: A Failed Genocide
Christopher P. Davey (Kathren Brown),
Utah Valley University
9:45–10:00 am
Mountain Man Re-enactors: An Analysis of
Emergent Codes
Brenda L. Cottrell (Susan Hafen), Weber
State University
10:00–10:15
Intersexualism and the Development of the
American Wilderness: An Ecofeminist Critique
Jennifer R. Niedfeldt (Michael Popich),
Westminster College
10:00–10:15 am
International Migration and Cumulative
Causation: A Theoretical and Ethnographic
Account of Migration from Rural Mexican
Communities
Faith D. Roark (Charlie V. Morgan),
Brigham Young University
10:15–10:30
A Poet Displaced: Elizabeth Bishop and the
Poetics of Unhomeliness
Corey Clawson (Anne Schifrer), Utah State
University
10:15–10:30 am
Socioeconomic Status and Women’s Autonomy:
Lessons from Mali
Wade C. Jacobsen (Renata Forste), Brigham
Young University
Oral Sessions A
Oral Session A9
9:00–10:30 AM
Oral Session A10
9:00–10:30 AM
Literature
Moderator: Georgiana Donavin,
Westminster College
Gore B24
Interdisciplinary: Health Sciences
Moderator: Jason V. Slack, Utah
Valley University
Gore B25
9:00–9:15am
Building an Eco-Zion: Kingsolver and Ecoesthetic Architecture in the American West
Kenneth Marrott (Theda Wrede), Dixie State
College
9:00–9:15 am
Enhancing CT Images with Computer Vision
Valerie A. Yoder (Helen Hu), Westminster
College
9:15–9:30 am
Immediate Effects of Muscular Fatigue on
Postural Stability and Motoneuron Pool
Excitability in Healthy Adults
Joshua C. Irvine (Bradley T. Hayes),
University of Utah
9:15–9:30 am
Memory, Place, and Growth—The Poetry and
Prose of Three USU Writers
Jacquelyn Vienna Boyd and Amy Schafer
(Christopher Cokinos), Utah State
University
9:30–9:45 am
Wellness Perception Amongst Utah Valley
University Students
John P. Holbrook (Jason V. Slack), Utah
Valley University
9:30–9:45 am
War Games: The Complex Metaphorical
Relationship between Competitive Athletics and
War
Brian W. Anderson (Gae Lyn Henderson),
Utah Valley University
9:45–10:00 am
Effects of Music During Endurance Exercise
Jeffrey C. Cowley (Jason V. Slack), Utah
Valley University
9:45–10:00 am
Whiteness in the Dark Knight?
Tyler J. Barnum (Jans Wager), Utah Valley
University
10:00–10:15 am
Skinwalker
Amber L. Watson (Karin Anderson), Utah
Valley University
10:00–10:15 am
Comparison of Muscle Activity Between Perfect
PushupTM and Traditional Method
Timothy S. Claybaugh and Jeffrey C. Cowley
(Michael Bohne and Jason V. Slack), Utah
Valley University
10:15–10:30 am
American Christianity and “True” Religion: Views
of Religion in Billy Wilder’s Ace in the Hole
Dustin E. Jackson (Stephen Armstrong),
Dixie State College
10:15–10:30 am
Lights, Cam, Action: A Foundation for
Physicians of Finesse
LeAnne Wilson-Tolley (Jeffrey W. Bulger),
Utah Valley University
Oral Sessions B
Oral Session B1
10:40–11:55 AM
Oral Session B2
10:40–11:55 AM
Key: Time, Title of Project, Student
Presenter, (Mentor), School
Philosophy/Ethics
Moderator: Michael Scott,
Westminster College
Converse B1
Fine Arts
Moderator: Christie Fox, Utah State
University
Converse 202
10:40–10:55
Do We Really Have Control? Two Problems
Facing Libertarian Free Will
Jorgen A. Hansen (Christine Weigel and
Wayne Hanewicz), Utah Valley University
10:40–10:55
A Glorious Experiment
Rebekah Mason (Angela BancheroKelleher), Utah Valley University
10:55–11:10
Marijuana and Morality
Chad Howze (Jeffrey W. Bulger), Utah
Valley University
10:55–11:10
A New Light
Alexandra R. Gil (Angela BancheroKelleher), Utah Valley University
11:10–11:25
I Speak Therefore I Perform: Jacques Derrida’s
Revised View of Performatives in Language
Anthony M. Christensen (Christa D.
Albrecht-Crane), Utah Valley University
11:10–11:25
Black American Dance in Times of Segregation
Brittney R. Gardner (Angela BancheroKelleher), Utah Valley University
11:25–11:40
Omnipresence and Divine Embodiment: 1650–
1850
Martin E. Pulido (David L. Paulsen),
Brigham Young University
11:25–11:40
Self Expression: The Gay Man’s Struggle for a
Place in the Heterosexual Exemplar of Ballet
Matthew Smith (Angela Banchero-Kelleher),
Utah Valley University
11:40–11:55
Scientific Superstition: The Rationale of AngloSaxon Harvest Rituals
K. Jane Hughes (Glen Cooper), Brigham
Young University
11:40–11:55
Revealing Unveiled (An Incorporation of Dance
and Film)
Annika Black and Lyndy Tankersley
(Amanda Sowerby), Weber State University
Oral Sessions B
Oral Session B3
10:40–11:55 AM
Oral Session B4
10:40–11:55 AM
Literature
Moderator: Georgiana Donavin,
Westminster College
Converse B18
Education
Moderator: Scott Hunsaker, Utah
State University
Gore 106
10:40–10:55
Images of Faith and Doubt: Tennyson,
Longfellow, and the Poetry of Spiritualism
Trenton Olsen (Paul Crumbley), Utah State
University
10:40–10:55
An Evaluation of Student Teaching
Scott R. Bartholomew (Geoffrey A. Wright),
Brigham Young University
10:55–11:10
Critical Issues in Middle and Secondary School
Mathematics Placement: A Case Study
Morgan Summers (Brynja Kohler), Utah
State University
10:55–11:10
Poetry’s Painful Tradition
Daniel O. Young (Laura Hamblin), Utah
Valley University
11:10–11:25
Correlates of Teacher Practices Influencing
Student Outcomes
Aubree Nielsen (Scott Hunsaker), Utah
State University
11:10–11:25
Poetry: The Ontological Negotiations and
Movements of Bodies in Modernist Free Verse
Kaila M. Brown (Keith Johnson), Brigham
Young University
11:25–11:40
Effects of Morning Meetings on Student Social
Achievement
Julie K. Johnson (Nancy Peterson), Utah
Valley University
11:25–11:40
Looking Through Lacan’s Mirror at the
Uncanny Resemblance of Frankenstein to His
Monster
Daniel O. Young (Karin Anderson), Utah
Valley University
11:40–11:55
Bridging Borders Through Books
Joelle Fierro and Rachel L. Probst (Genan
Anderson), Utah Valley University
11:40–11:55
Hasanaginica and Vuk Karadzic: Herder
Applied
Peter Q. Wright (Paul E. Kerry), Brigham
Young University
Oral Sessions B
Oral Session B5
10:40–11:55 AM
Oral Session B6
10:40–11:55 AM
Psychology
Moderator: Jen Simonds,
Westminster College
Gore 107
Chemistry/Physics
Moderator: William Deutschman,
Westminster College
Room: Gore 205
10:40–10:55
Accuracy and Predictor Variables of Listeners’
Identification of Male Speaker Body Size, Age,
and Ethnicity
J. Parker Heiner (Wendy Baker), Brigham
Young University
10:40–10:55
Analysis of Inhomogeneous Broadening in
Perturbed Angular Correlation Spectroscopy at
Utah Valley University
Carlos Moreno (W. E. Evenson, P.
Matheson, and M. O. Zacate), Utah Valley
University
10:55–11:10
Youth Identity: Youth Navigating through Safe
Spaces to Participate in Activism
Carmela Wilden (Caitlin Cahill and Ed
Buendia), University of Utah
10:55–11:10
Nuclear Relaxation of N-state Symmetric
Models
Tyler Park (W. E. Evenson, P. Matheson, and
M. O. Zacate), Utah Valley University
11:10–11:25
Multicultural Education as a Means to Promote
Counselor Effectiveness with Ethnic Minority
Clients
Kimberly C. Peet (Tim Smith), Brigham
Young University
11:10–11:25
Independent Component Analysis and Defect
Concentration Dependence of Inhomogeneous
Broadening in Perturbed Angular Correlation
Spectroscopy
Jeffrey A. Hodges (W. E. Evenson, P.
Matheson, and M. O. Zacate), Utah Valley
University
11:25–11:40
Client Utilization of Mental Health Services: A
Comparison Across Ethnicities
Tabitha A. Harper (Tim Smith), Brigham
Young University
11:25–11:40
Can a Planetary System Survive a Host Star
Supernova Explosion?
Justin J. Giovannoni (Alexander M. Panin),
Utah Valley University
11:40–11:55
The Relationship Between Spirituality and
Mental Health Among Ethnic Minority
Populations in North America: A Meta-analysis
Joshua W. Kirton (Tim Smith), Brigham
Young University
11:40–11:55
Neutron Star Cooling
Justin J. Giovannoni (Alexander M. Panin),
Utah Valley University
Oral Sessions B
Oral Session B7
10:40–11:55 AM
Oral Session B8
10:40–11:55 AM
Political Science
Moderator: Gae Lyn Anderson, Utah
Valley University
Room: Gore 206
Biology
Moderator: Jeffrey G. Edwards,
Brigham Young University
Room: Gore 228
10:40–10:55
Unlikely Visitors German Prisoners of War at
Farragut Naval Training Station 1945-1946
Derreck Calkins (Kathryn Mackay), Weber
State University
10:40–10:55
Chemotherapeutic Apoptosis: Who Assailed the
Membrane, the Inducer or the Induced?
Kyle Thompson (John D. Bell), Brigham
Young University
10:55–11:10
Who Maimed the Republican Party?
Elizabeth Jarrard-O’Dea (Gae Lyn Peterson),
Utah Valley University
10:55–11:10
Assessment of Merocyanine Subpopulations in
DPPC Vesicles Using Anisotropy and Lifetime
Measurements
Steven K. Neely and Brett C. Johnson (John
D. Bell), Brigham Young University
11:10–11:25
A Lethal Gift: Development Aid and Terrorism
Swati Sharma (Michael Findley), Brigham
Young University
11:10–11:25
Phylogeny and Evolution of Male Genitalia
Within the Praying Mantis Genus Tenodera
(Mantodea: Mantidae)
Dana Jensen, Gavin Svenson, and Hojun
Song (Michael F. Whiting), Brigham Young
University
11:25–11:40
Why is Singapore Not Zimbabwe? Explaining
Variations in the Economic Performance of
Autocracies
Zachary S. Davis (Daniel Nielson), Brigham
Young University
11:25–11:40
Unconfounding the Confounded: Separating
Treatment and Batch Effects in Confounded
Microarray Experiments
Timothy M. Bahr (Evan W. Johnson),
Brigham Young University
11:40–11:55
“Rogues” Uncovered: A Scale of States of
Concern to the International Community
Carl H. Brinton (Valerie Hudson), Brigham
Young University
11:40–11:55
Spectroscopy Measurements of Apoptotic
Cell Membrane Changes Associated with the
Chemotherapeutic Agent Daunorubicin
Amanda M. Berbert, Olin D. Beck, Nate
Eshenroder, and Mark Pruitt (John D. Bell),
Brigham Young University
10
Oral Sessions B
Oral Session B9
10:40–11:55 AM
Oral Session B10
10:40–11:55 AM
Interdisciplinary: Gender Studies
Moderator: Fatima Mujcinovic,
Westminster College
Gore B24
Interdisciplinary: Health Sciences
Moderator: Artis Grady, Southern
Utah University
Gore B25
10:40–10:55
The Illness-prone Sex: Catherine Earnshaw’s
Feminine Defeat
Meredith E. Bennie (Gae Lyn Henderson),
Utah Valley University
10:40–10:55
Giving Birth: Australian Women’s Voices
Melody W. Kuhre and Shelley T. Holt (Lynn
C. Callister), Brigham Young University
10:55–11:10
Wasting Away in Wuthering Heights: Finding
a Connection between Abuse and Eating
Disorders
Katlin E. Vest (Gae Lyn Henderson), Utah
Valley University
10:55–11:10
Comparing Childless Single Males’ and
Females’ Attitudes and Knowledge of
Breastfeeding
Lauren Challis and Mathew Johnson (Artis
Grady and Matthew Schmidt), Southern
Utah University
11:10–11:25
Reworking Romanticism: Romantic Feminism
in Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s The Solitude of the
Self
Megan A. Olsen (Nicholas A. Mason),
Brigham Young University
11:10–11:25
Place Attachment: College Students’ Views of
Their Special Places Through Pictures
Jennifer L. Anderson, Ethan Scofield, and
Nicholas Brown (Betsy R. Lindley), Utah
Valley University
11:25–11:40
Jane Austen’s Bad Boys: The Rake’s Remorse as
Romantic Realism
Diane M. Ferguson (Nicholas A. Mason),
Brigham Young University
11:25–11:40
College Environmental Factors Affecting Body
Dissatisfaction Among Freshman Females: A
Qualitative Study
Melissa N. Howell, Ashley A. Suker, and
Katrina N. Fulkerson (Rosemary Thackery),
Brigham Young University
11:40–11:55
When Romance Is Not So Romantic: Gender
Construction, Domination, and Violence in
Young-adult Literature
Whitney Strong (Chris LeCluyse),
Westminster College
11:40–11:55
Magic Gel Dosimetry
Rachel Mifflin (C. Brent Bargeron), Utah
Valley University
11
Oral Sessions C
Oral Session C1
1:00–2:00 PM
Oral Session C2
1:00–2:00 PM
Key: Time, Title of Project, Student
Presenter, (Mentor), School
Business
Moderator: Tim Carr, Westminster
College
Converse B1
Fine Arts
Moderator: Angela BancheroKelleher, Utah Valley University
Converse 202
1:00–1:15 pm
Navigating Through Networking:
Undocumented Students’ Strategies to Obtain
Academic Support
Denise Castañeda, Education (Caitlin
Cahill), University of Utah
1:00–1:15 pm
Assessing the Role of Dance in Presenting
China’s National Identity
Meredith Ashton (Angela BancheroKelleher), Utah Valley University
1:15–1:30 pm
Corporate Governance Structure in Emerging
Markets
Jason L. De Forest (Karl Lins), University of
Utah
1:15–1:30 pm
Ballet and Social Changes: The Eve of the
French Revolution
Catherine J. Smith (Angela BancheroKelleher), Utah Valley University
1:30–1:45 pm
Is Puffery Meaningless to Consumers? A
Critical Review of Evidence from Consumer
Survey Research
Joshua Blume and Nathanial Harris,
Social Science; (Ken Bartkus), Utah State
University
1:30–1:45 pm
Reclaiming Power: Color, Gender, and Identity
in Vogue
Veronica B. Argyle (Angela BancheroKelleher), Utah Valley University
1:45–2:00 pm
The Risk and Return from a Different View
Andrew Masuda and Li Chen (Lauren Lo
Re), Westminster College
1:45–2:00 pm
Supplemental Training of Dancers
Chelsea Salcido (Jason V. Slack), Utah
Valley University
12
Oral Sessions C
Oral Session C3
1:00–2:00 PM
Oral Session C4
1:00–2:00 PM
Political Science
Moderator: Michael Popich,
Westminster College
Converse B18
Math/Computer Science
Moderator: Bill Bynum, Westminster
College
Room: Gore 106
1:00–1:15 pm
Science and Technology: Determining Identity
in Mark Twain’s Pudd’nhead Wilson Benjamin
Benjamin D. Bascom (Kristin Matthews),
Brigham Young University
1:00–1:15 pm
Anomaly Detection for Unmanned Aerial
Wilderness Search and Rescue
Ryan Dutson and David Caldwell (Curtis
Ray Welborn), Utah Valley University
1:15–1:30 pm
Disastrous Discourse: The Failure of Democratic
Paideia According to Thucydides and Thomas
Hobbes
Spencer C. Woolley (Michael Markowski),
Westminster College
1:15–1:30 pm
Math and Money—Is There a Link?
Tiffany A. Peterson and Barbara Anderson
(Keith White, Max Aeschbacher, and
Melinda Nevels), Utah Valley University
1:30–1:45 pm
The Frobenius Program in Mathematica Six
Nick M. Hansen and Tyler P. Sherry
(Richard Wellman), Westminster College
1:30–1:45 pm
The Representation of Schiller in Modern
Political Philosophy
Jeffrey S. Tucker (Paul E. Kerry), Brigham
Young University
1:45–2:00 pm
Modeling Less of More: A Look Inside Amazon ™
Carolyn G. Tweedy (Bill Bynum),
Westminster College
1:45–2:00 pm
Industry Dwelling and Ecocriticism in
Thomson’s The Seasons
Dallin G. Lewis (Mathew Wickman),
Brigham Young University
13
Oral Sessions C
Oral Session C5
1:00–2:00 PM
Oral Session C6
1:00–2:00 PM
Biology
Moderator: Chris Hoagstrom, Weber
State University
Room: Gore 107
Engineering
Moderator: Kent Walker, Utah Valley
University
Gore 108
1:00–1:15 pm
Mark/ Recapture and Weight Trends for the
Canyon Tree Frog (Hyla arenicolor) in Zion
National Park
John Knudsen and Kent Marchant (Curt
Walker and David Jones), Dixie State
College
1:00–1:15 pm
Investigating the Vibrational Structure of Alkali
Metal Surfaces
Richard Wilson (Mark Riffe), Utah State
University
1:15–1:30 pm
E-85 Versus High Octane Race Fuel on the Salt
Flats
Jedidiah D. Oldman (Todd Low), Utah
Valley University
1:15–1:30 pm
The Use of Microbial Community Studies
in Determination of a Possible Pathogenic
Microorganism Involved in the Dark Spot
Disease of Starlet Coral
Jeremiah C. Whetman (Charlotte
Pederson), Southern Utah University
.
1:30–1:45 pm
The Development of Transgenic Worms
Jeremy B. Thompson and Jochen Rink
(Alejandro Sanchez Alvarado), University of
Utah
1:30–1:45 pm
Microcracking of Cement-treated Pavement
Base Layers
Charles A. Hope (W. Spencer Guthrie),
Brigham Young University
1:45–2:00 pm
Capitalizing on Heterogeneity and Anisotropy
to Find Designs with Unexpected Performance
Stephen P. Harston, Sadegh Ahmadi, and
Brent L. Adams (Christopher A. Mattson),
Brigham Young University
1:45–2:00 pm
Ecomorphology of Sculpin, A Native Fish of
Northeastern Utah
Nathan V. Holmes (Christopher W.
Hoagstrom), Weber State University
14
Oral Sessions C
Oral Session C7
1:00–2:00 PM
Oral Session C8
1:00–2:00 PM
Chemistry/Physics
Moderator: Peter Conwell,
Westminster College
Gore 205
Botany
Moderator: Claudia Radel, Utah State
University
Gore 206
1:00–1:15 pm
The Effects of Chemoattractant Buffers and
Functional PEG Modified Glass Slides on
Bacterial Chemoattractant Behaviors
Leslie Mounteer and Victoria Kmetzsch
(Anhong Zhou), Utah State University
1:00–1:15 pm
The Affect of Solution Ph on Plant
(Helianthus annus L., Asteraceae)
Growth and Development
Adam M. Weagle and H. Gaven Smith (Terri
Hildebrand), Southern Utah University
1:15–1:30 pm
Sequence-dependent Changes in PNA•DNA
Duplex Conformations
Jennifer-Lynn Demers (Tricia D. Shepherd),
Westminster College
1:15–1:30 pm
Aspen Developmental Processes Strongly
Influence Photosynthesis and Water Potential
Tiffany Lillrose (Samuel B. St. Clair),
Brigham Young University
1:30–1:45 pm
Sequence-dependent Structural Differences in
RNA•DNA Hybrids
Danyal J. Floisand (Tricia D. Shepherd),
Westminster College
1:30–1:45 pm
Hydrophobicity in the Forcing of Flowering of
Paperwhite Narcissus
Carly Duncan (Craig D. Thulin), Utah
Valley University
1:45–2:00 pm
EUV Transmission Grating Spectrometer for
Absolute Intensity Measurements from 2 to
250nm
Bryce Allred and Matt Nilsen (Scott D.
Bergeson), Brigham Young University
1:45–2:00 pm
Cropping Systems: Soil Sustainability vs. Profit
Travis J. Beckett and Jacob D. Washburn
(Bryan G. Hopkins), Brigham Young
University
15
Oral Sessions C
Oral Session C9
1:00–2:00 PM
Oral Session C10
1:00–2:00 PM
Interdisciplinary: Gender Studies
Moderator: Brian Whaley, Utah Valley
University
Gore 228
Interdisciplinary: Health Sciences
Moderator: Nicole Okazaki, Weber
State University
Gore B24
1:00–1:15 pm
The Evolution on the Views of Women
Catherine V. Lowe (Gae Lyn Henderson),
Utah Valley University
1:00–1:15 pm
Ventilation Mode Affects Ovine Pulmonary
IGF-1 Epigenetic Characteristics
Matthew McCoy (Kurt H. Albertine),
University of Utah
1:15–1:30 pm
Johanna Lankau’s Dresdner Spaziergänge and
the Walking Woman as an Outsider
Bess Hayes (Robert McFarland), Brigham
Young University
1:15–1:30 pm
A CRE-ER Based Mouse Model for Synovial
Sarcoma
Matthew L. Hedberg, Malay Haldar (Mario
R. Capecchi), University of Utah
1:30–1:45 pm
The Idea of a Patron: Eleanor of Aquitaine
Katie A. McNey (Brandie Siegfried),
Brigham Young University
1:30–1:45 pm
Pharmacological and Genetic Models Indicate
that Ceramide Accrual Impairs Vascular
Function in a Tissue Autonomous Manner
C. Gale, Dix H. Pettey, Lloyd J. Wilson,
and Jason M. Tanner (J. David Symons),
University of Utah
1:45–2:00 pm
An Exercise in Creative Criticism: The Voice of
Elizabeth Pepys
Amber L. Watson (Brian Whaley), Utah
Valley University
1:45–2:00 pm
Mechanical Ventilation of Preterm Lambs
for three Days Alters MRNA Expression of
Apoptotic and Glucocorticoid Molecules
C. Blair, C. Amundsen, D. Metcalfe, M.
McCoy, B. Beck, A. Whitworth, A. Smith, J.
Alvord, L. Dong, M.J. Dahl, L. Joss-Moore,
L. Moyer-Mileur, D.M. Null, B.A. Yoder,
R.H. Lane, and K.H. Albertine. (B.P.D.),
University of Utah
16
Oral Sessions C
Oral Session C11
1:00–2:00 PM
Environmental Science
Moderator: Steven H. Emerman,
Utah Valley University
Gore B25
1:00–1:15 pm
Micropropagation Studies in Astragalus
holmgreniorum
Aaron R. Fry, Brett A. McGowan, and
Julianne Babaoka (Olga R. Kopp), Utah
Valley University
1:15–1:30 pm
Genetic Diversity among Bromus Tectorum
Populations as Determined by Microsatellite
Keith R. Merrill, Craig E. Coleman, Mikel
R. Stevens, Kirk Bean, and Susan E. Meyer
(Craig E. Coleman), Brigham Young
University
1:30–1:45 pm
New Constraints on the Timing of Prehistoric
Earthquakes on the Nephi Segment of the
Wasatch Fault, Utah
Connie K. Smith Barnes and Kevin A. Rey
(Daniel Horns), Utah Valley University
1:45–2:00 pm
Air Pollutants and Carbon Sequestration in
Soils
Chris L. Jensen (James Callison), Utah
Valley University
17
Oral Sessions D
Oral Session D1
2:10–3:10 PM
Oral Session D2
2:10–3:10 PM
Key: Time, Title of Project, Student
Presenter, (Mentor), School
Business
Moderator: Robert Shaw,
Westminster College
Converse B1
Fine Arts
Moderator: Angela BancheroKelleher, Utah Valley University
Converse 202
2:10–2:25 pm
Venture Capital Strategy Formulation
Bradley Call Barth (Matthew Haber),
University of Utah
2:10–2:025 pm
Trisha Brown’s Homemade: A Reflection of
Postmodern America
Rebecca Diane Stott (Angela BancheroKelleher), Utah Valley University
2:25–2:40 pm
ishopsandy.Com
Seth Dickison, Salt Lake Community
College
2:25–2:40 pm
A Subtler Vision: Berthe Morisot’s Images of
Her Daughter Julie
Kalisha Roberts Jacobsen (Heather Belnap
Jensen), Brigham Young University
2:40–2:55 pm
Vietnam Entrepreneurship: Culture and
Expertise
Thanh H. Nguyen (Kristie Seawright),
Brigham Young University
2:40–2:055 pm
To Live and Die in Dixie: Bob Dylan and the
World Stage of Blackface Minstrelsy
Matthew A. Jonassaint (Jans Wager), Utah
Valley University
2:55–3:10 pm
How Do Local Opinion Leaders View the
Proposed Affiliation Between Dixie State
College and the University of Utah?
Terri Draper (Dennis Wignall), Dixie State
College
2:55–3:10 pm
Sou Da Bahia/I’m From Bahia: Seeking Truth
and Minimizing Colonialist Representations in
Documentary Film
J. Christian Jensen (Vanessa Fitzgibbon),
Brigham Young University
18
Oral Sessions D
Oral Session D3
2:10–3:10 PM
Oral Session D4
2:10–3:10 PM
Literature
Moderator: Chris LeCluyse,
Westminster College
Converse B18
Environmental Sciences
Moderator: Jeffrey W. Bulger, Utah
Valley University
Room: Gore 106
2:10–2:25 pm
Beckett and Derrida: On the Margins of
Philosophy/Literature
Brian J. D. Berry (Keith Johnson), Brigham
Young University
2:10–2:25 pm
Developing a Strategy to Integrate a Building
Energy Monitoring System into the Science
Curriculum
Natasha Khan (Tricia D. Shepherd),
Westminster College
2:25–2:40 pm
Melaka Fray Finds a Shiny New Ax: Exploring
Freedom within the Constraints of Pre-formed
Constructs
Elizabeth W. Christianson (Karin
Anderson), Utah Valley University
2:25–2:40 pm
China’s Compliance with International Climate
Change Treaties: What Does Changing Policy
Imply for Post-Kyoto Consensus?
Gloria Jean Gong (Zeng Ping), Brigham
Young University
2:40–2:55 pm
Inventions of American Spies: Deconstructing
Isolation and Phantom Idols in Jack Spicer’s the
Holy Grail
Ian T. Stephens (Georgiana Donavin),
Westminster College
2:40–2:55
Caution: This Paper is Composed Primarily of
Soy—An Ethical Look at the Use of the Soybean
in America
Caitlin Anderson (Jeffrey W. Bulger), Utah
Valley University
2:55–3:10 pm
A Lady in the Meads: Sources for Desire in
Keats’ Belle Dame
Kirsten A. Gwin (Georgiana Donavin),
Westminster College
2:55–3:10 pm
What’s in Your Plastics? A Principlist Approach
to Bisphenol A
C. Steven Broadbent (Jeffrey W. Bulger),
Utah Valley University
19
Oral Sessions D
Oral Session D5
2:10–3:10 PM
Oral Session D6
2:10–3:10 PM
Computer Science
Moderator: Richard Wellman,
Westminster College
Gore 107
Biology
Moderator: Curt Walker, Dixie State
College
Gore 108
2:10–2:25 pm
GNUMAP: A Highly Accurate Method for
Assembling Short Reads to a Reference Genome
Nathan L. Clement (Quinn Snell), Brigham
Young University
2:10–2:25 pm
Characterization of the Structure and
Composition of the Rat Sciatic Nerve
Kylee Fotheringham and M. Ben
Christensen (Patrick A. Tresco), University
of Utah
2:25–2:40 pm
Is There Antitrust Inside Intel? Looking Into the
Allegations against the Premier Chip Maker
Daniel Fletcher (Robert Couch), Brigham
Young University
2:25–2:40 pm
Assessing the Effects of Primer Specificity on
Eliminating Numt Contamination in DNA
Barcoding
Matthew J. Moulton and Hojun Song
(Michael F. Whiting), Brigham Young
University
2:40–2:05 pm
Increasing Student Awareness Through Digital
Signage
Julie Hinton (Dennis Wignall), Dixie State
College
2:40–2:55 pm
Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarki)
Phylogeny
Kenny Eyring, Jason Mathis, and Spencer
Moon (Dennis Shiozawa and R. Paul
Evans), Brigham Young University
2:55–3:10 pm
Wireless Control of an Embedded System with
an Interactive Web Application
Jeremy P. Clegg (Afsaneh Minaie), Utah
Valley University
2:55–3:10 pm
Ontogeny of Shape Differentiation in
Contrasting Environments
Elizabeth Hassell (Mark Belk), Brigham
Young University
20
Oral Sessions D
Oral Session D7
2:10–3:10 PM
Oral Session D8
2:10–3:10 PM
Botany
Moderator: Nicole Okazaki, Weber
State University
Gore 205
Health Sciences/Diseases
Moderator: Jason V. Slack, Utah
Valley University
Gore 206
2:10–2:25 pm
Developmental Influences on Aspen Defense
Chemistry
Eric Austin Smith (Samuel B. St. Clair),
Brigham Young University
2:10–2:25 pm
Mechanisms of Resistance for Streptococcus
Pyogenes in Northern Utah
Ryan A. Rowe and Ryan M. Stephenson
(Scott Wright), Weber State University
2:25–2:40 pm
Clonal Regeneration is Prevalent in Utah Aspen
Sean B. Collette (Mikel R. Stevens and
Samuel B. St. Clair), Brigham Young
University
2:25–2:40 pm
Nuclear Trafficking of BCR-ABL Using SV40
NLS
Blake C. Paullin (Carol S. Lim), University
of Utah
2:40–2:55 pm
Simple Sequence Repeat DNA Analysis of Eight
Utah Aspen Stands
Tom Boynton (Samuel B. St. Clair and
Mikel R. Stevens), Brigham Young
University
2:40–2:55 pm
Characterization of a Novel Antimicrobial
Peptide, Defensin, and Its Actions Against the
Causative Agent of Bubonic Plague, Yersinia
pestis,
Kody L. Johnson (David Erickson), Brigham
Young University
2:55–3:10 pm
Light Resource Significantly Influences
Induction of Aspen Defense Chemistry
Steven D. Monson (Samuel B. St.Clair),
Brigham Young University
2:55–3:10 pm
Improving Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus Protocol
Anna Testa (Sherri Tesseyman), Westminster
College
21
Oral Sessions D
Oral Session D9
2:10–3:10 PM
Oral Session D10
2:10–3:10 PM
Political Science
Moderator: Gae Lyn Anderson, Utah
Valley University
Gore 228
Interdisciplinary: Health Sciences
Moderator: Rachel Smetanka,
Southern Utah University
Gore B24
2:10–2:25 pm
Public Opinion and Rhetoric: Causes and
Symptoms of the Mormon Identity Shift
Justin M. Larsen (Gae Lyn Henderson),
Utah Valley University
2:10–2:25 pm
Parent’s Perceptions of Pediatric Diabetes
Management Clinics
Kalie Thornock (Barbara Mandleco),
Brigham Young University
2:25–2:40 pm
Is this Racial Freedom: Student Perceptions of
the Civil Rights Movement at Brigham Young
University
Ardis K. Smith (Rebecca de Schweinitz),
Brigham Young University
2:25–2:40 pm
The Stigma of Mental Illness Concerning
Emergency Responders
Catherine Rebekah Taylor (Les Chetelain),
University of Utah
2:40–2:55 pm
Simulation in Nursing Education to Stimulate
Critical Thinking
Katrina Duncan (Patricia Ravert), Brigham
Young University
2:40–2:55 pm
Natural Rights Discourse in 1790s DenmarkNorway’s Free Press
Timothy Cotton Wright (Paul E. Kerry),
Brigham Young University
2:55–3:10 pm
Safe Alternatives to Reduce Dental Patient
Anxiety
Josh Carpenter, J.D. Westphal, and Landon
Beus (Rachel Smetanka), Southern Utah
University
2:55–3:10 pm
Understanding the Political Decisions of Utah
Valley University Students
Becca Stewart, Amanda V. Dillehay, and
Michael Goodwin (Grace Chou), Utah
Valley University
22
Oral Sessions D
Oral Session D11
2:10–3:10 PM
Health Sciences
Moderators: Sean Raleigh,
Westminster College
Gore B25
2:10–2:25 pm
Cardiovascular and Metabolic Responses to
Fasting in Lean and Obese Mice
Jason M. Tanner and Bum Jun Kim (J. David
Symons), University of Utah
2:25–2:40 pm
Craniosynostosis Treatment Recovery Analysis
Using Postoperation CT Images
Aaron A. Hart (Chia-Chi Teng), Brigham
Young University
2:40–2:55 pm
America’s Ethanol Alternatives
Spencer A. Pearce (Danny Damron),
Brigham Young University
2:55–3:10 pm
An Adaptive Bayesian Approach to Doseresponse Modeling
Thomas J. Leininger (C. Shane Reese),
Brigham Young University
23
Poster Sessions
AM Poster Session
10:00–11:45 AM
Tanner Atrium, Emma Eccles Jones
Conservatory
Key: Easel Number, Title of Project,
Student Presenter, (Mentor), School
Easel 7
Survey of Incidence of Staphylococcus aureus
(and MRSA) in Student Populations at
Westminster College
Courtney Forrest, Chris Roundy, and
Chris Bradley (Lawrence W. Anderson),
Westminster College
Easel 1
A Structure Activity Relationship Study of C6, a Novel Compound with Selective Activity
Against Breast Cancer Tumor Cells
Carol A. Bills (Matthew S. Sigman),
University of Utah
Easel 2
The Role of the Dorsal Hippocampus in Object
Recognition
Thomas Blakemore (Raymond P. Kesner),
University of Utah
Easel 8
Metagenomic Techniques Applied to a High
Saline Ecosystem, Great Salt Lake, Utah
Eric E. Edmunds (Bonnie Baxter),
Westminster College
Easel 3
Blind v. Color Blind: The Injustice of State
Felon Disenfranchisement Schemes
Lauren N. Carpenter (Daniel Levin),
University of Utah
Easel 9
Developing a Strategy to Integrate a Building
Energy Monitoring System into the Science
Curriculum
Natasha Khan (Tricia D. Shepherd),
Westminster College
Easel 4
Concentration and pH Dependent
Photoemission from Fluoresceini in Cap
Nanoshells
Kyu B. Han (Agnes Ostafin), University of
Utah
Easel 10
Carotendoids and DNA Damage in a Great
Salt Lake Halophilic Archaea
Lindsy J. Brickell and Rue Van Dyke (Bonnie
Baxter), Westminster College
Easel 5
Service Learning, Diversity Education, and the
Benefits of Integration
Amanda Anderson and Benjamin Rackman
(Cathleen Power), Westminster College
Easel 11
Actualistic Tests of Paleoecological Hypotheses:
Reconstructing an Existing Lacustrine
Environment on the Utah-Idaho Border
Ivy Abbott, Nicholas Cummings, and
Erik Tamminen (David W. Goldsmith),
Westminster College
Easel 6
Does the Mixing of Separately Evolved Artificial
Neural Networks Improve Performances?
Matt Polichette (Peter Conwell),
Westminster College
24
AM Poster Session
10:00–11:45 AM
Easel 12
Enterococcus faecalis Clinical Isolates and the
Detection of Proteolytic Activity InVitro
Paula J. Porter and Demetrius M. Coombs
(Lawrence W. Anderson), Westminster
College
Easel 19
Analogous Mutations in Two PTP Enzymes
Cause Differential Adverse Effects on Catalysis
Ryan Berry (Alvan Hengge), Utah State
University
Easel 20
Parental Ethnotheories and How They Affect
Child Health Care in Utah
Ryan Jackman (David Lancy), Utah State
University
Easel 13
A New Tool to Assist Low-resolution Structure
Determination
Bradley Hinzte (Sean Johnson), Utah State
University
Easel 21
Fatty-acid Induced Hormone Release in
Enteroendocrine Cells
Spencer Hyde (Tim Gilbertson), Utah State
University
Easel 14
The Relationship Between Need for Cognition
and the Use of Biases in Entrepreneurial
Decision-making
Bryson White (Daniel Holland), Utah State
University
Easel 22
Europe’s Unifying Fathers Reveal a Not-SoUnified Perspective
Spencer Jacobson (Shannon Peterson),
Utah State University
Easel 15
A Poet Displaced: Elizabeth Bishop and the
Poetics of Unhomeliness
Corey Clawson (Anne Schifrer), Utah State
University
Easel 23
Pathophysiological Role of ENaC in a
Mammalian Model of Diabetes
Stephanie Croasdell (Tim Gilbertson), Utah
State University
Easel 16
Differential Effects of RNAi on Toll-like
Receptors in Human A549, A498, HEK-G2,
and HEK-293 Cells Infected with Oncolytic
Bluetongue Virus
Christopher Peterson (Joseph Li), Utah
State University
Easel 24
Is There Slow Slip on the Wasatch Fault?
Tamara Jeppson (Anthony Lowry), Utah
State University
Easel 17
Genetic and Biochemical Studies of Plasmid
pir52-1 in Lactobacillus Helveticus
Cody Tramp (Dennis Welker), Utah State
University
Easel 25
Expression, Purification, and Crystallization of
PRMT1
Yalemi Morales (Joan Hevel), Utah State
University
Easel 18
Temporal and Spatial Variation of Nutrient
Availability in Five Mountain Lakes
Cyri Dixon (Wayne Wurtsbaugh), Utah
State University
Easel 26
Assay Development to Characterize Chitinase
Activity in Halophilic Bacteria
Travis J. Canova (Craig Oberg and Michele
Zwolinski), Weber State University
25
AM Poster Session
10:00–11:45 AM
Easel 27
Libel Law and the New Hire Reporter: Reason
for Concern?
James A. Elmer (Sheree Josephson), Weber
State University
Easel 33
Behavior-specific Praise as an Intervention in
the Classroom
Tiffany L. Scholes (Leslie N. Jones),
Southern Utah University
Easel 34
Muscle Phosphatidylcholine Lipid Profile
Changes in Response to Exercise
Aaron C. Miller and Danny R. Sims (Brad R.
Roberts, Steven G. Wood, Craig D. Thulin,
Matthew R. Linford, and Allen C. Parcell),
Brigham Young University
Easel 28
Effect of Selenium on the Brine Shrimp
Artemia
Jeffrey J. Jepperson (Nicole Okazaki), Weber
State University
Easel 29
The Academic Job Market: Will You Be
Competitive? A Case Study in Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology
Paul R. Buttars (Jonathon C. Marshall),
Weber State University; Robert G. Shupe,
Bryce Lunt, Thomas Callahan, John Q.
Dennehy, D. James Harris, Southern Utah
University
Easel 35
Mice Bearing a Targeted Inactivation of Nbmp2
Show Decreased Muscle Strength
Alina D. Schmidt, Sampath K. Longathan,
Mike M. Adam, Caitlin Nichols, Jaime
L. Mayo, and Jennie E. Felin (Mario R.
Capecchi), University of Utah; Jeffery R.
Barrow; Brigham Young University (Laura
C. Bridgewater), University of Utah
Easel 30
The Effects of Benzene on Brine Shrimp,
Artemia franciscana
Kendall Asper (Nicole Okazaki), Weber
State University
Easel 36
Physiological Impact of Aphid Feeding Galls on
Populus Fremonti Leaves
Brandon S. Carlisle and Stuart C. Wooley
(Samuel B. St. Clair), Brigham Young
University
Easel 31
Comparing Childless Single Males’ and
Females’ Attitudes and Knowledge of
Breastfeeding
Lauren Challis and Mathew Johnson (Artis
Grady and Matthew Schmidt), Southern
Utah University
Easel 37
Paterae: Io’s Heat Vents
Brandon J. Barth (Jani Radebaugh),
Brigham Young University
Easel 38
Sports Field Management: Poa Pratensis L.
phytosiderophore Exudation at High Iron
Availability
Christopher M. Haskell (Bryan G.
Hopkins), Von D. Jolley, and Emily A.
Buxton, Brigham Young University
Easel 32
Is There a Difference in Body Age Between
Senior Athletes and Non-athletes?
Melissa M. Zobrist and Judy Higbee (Julie E.
Taylor), Southern Utah University
26
AM Poster Session
10:00–11:45 AM
Easel 39
Titan as a Laboratory for Earth’s Linear Dune
Formation
Chris Savage (Jani Radebaugh), Brigham
Young University
Easel 45
Methane Imaging Search for Planetary Mass
Objects in Rho Ophiuchi
Sherene Higley (Karl E. Haisch Jr. and Mary
Barsony), Utah Valley University
Easel 40
Agents of Political Socialization of Youth in
Mukono, Uganda
Cortney Evans (Julie M. Hite), Brigham
Young University
Easel 46
Assessment of Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA
Polymorphisms in Cyclura Carinata
Jace D. Hilton (Catherine L. Stephen), Utah
Valley University
Easel 41
TRPV1 Modulation in the Hippocampus
Douglas M. Bennion, Tyron D. Jensen,
Jason Couch, Mike Castle, Stephen Daniel,
and Blake Nelson (Jeffrey G. Edwards),
Brigham Young University
Easel 47
Hydrogen Production Through Electrolysis of
Ammonia as an Efficient Alternative Energy
Source
Adam C. Barley and Kirk R. Baxter (Kent
Walker), Utah Valley University
Easel 42
New Light on the Dark Side of Vesuvius:
The Production and Use of Glass in the Late
Antiquity
Elise C. Krauel (Jaime Bartlett), Brigham
Young University
Easel 48
Evolutionary Relationship Between Hyla
arenicolor in the Slot Canyons of Zion National
Park
Nikaela M. Aitken and Matthew C. Irvin
(Curt Walker and David Jones), Dixie State
College
Easel 43
Comparison of Diptera: Empididae to
Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera on
an Elevational Gradient
Elizabeth J. Bankhead and Sarah W.
Judson (C. Riley Nelson), Brigham Young
University
Easel 49
Calculating Efficiency Frontiers Through
Computer Programming
Brian S. Bice (Kyle Wells), Dixie State
College
Easel 44
Sex-related Discrepancies in the Nursing
Profession
Elizabeth C. Castillo, Mallory B. Forsberg,
Jill S. Kimball, Bradley J. Ray, and Jeff S.
Rhea (Mikaela Dufur), Brigham Young
University
27
PM Poster Sessions
PM Poster Session
1:30–3:15 PM
Tanner Atrium, Emma Eccles Jones
Conservatory
Key: Easel Number, Title of Project,
Student Presenter, (Mentor), School
Easel 1
The Effects of Lactate, Atp, Ph, and Adrenergic
Stimulation on Cultured Dorsal Root Ganglion
Cells
Cody Larson and Shane Hawthorne (Alan
Light and Ron Hughen), University of Utah
School of Medicine
Easel 6
Studying the Effects of Proline Analogs
on Ligand Structure and Selectivity in the
Asymmetric Addition of Allyl Bromide to
Carbonyls
Karisa B. Snow (Matthew S. Sigman),
University of Utah
Easel 2
Seismicity of the Oaxaca Segment of the
Middle-American Subduction Zone
Kevin Jensen and, Timothy Carey,
University of Utah; (Michael R. Brudzinski),
Miami University of Ohio; Enrique CabralCano, Alejandra Arciniega-Ceballos, and
Oscar Diaz-Molina, Instituto de Geofísica,
U.N.A.M., Ciudad Universitaria, México;
and D. Charles DeMets, University of
Wisconsin
Easel 7
Affirming Equity: Creating Access to College
Careers Among First-generation Students and
Students of Color in Elementary Schools
Carla M. Suarez and Shontol Torres
Burkhalter (Theresa A. Martinez), University
of Utah
Easel 8
The Protective Properties of Selenium in
Apoptotic Cell Death: Discerning Underlying
Mechanisms and Their Potential for
Pharmacological Intervention
Lindsey Kolette Roper (Brian Avery),
Westminster College
Easel 3
Mutation and Selection of a Highly Variable
Mitochondrial Minisatellite
Heather M. McGirk (Jon Seger), University
of Utah
Easel 9
Improving Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus
aureus Protocol
Anna Testa, Spencer Barton, Justin Carrell,
Kevin Foy, and Karena McDonald (Sherri
Tesseyman), Westminster College
Easel 4
The Virtue of Death: Widow Suicide and the
Feminine Consciousness in China and India
Caitlin G. McDonald (Janet Theiss),
University of Utah
Easel 10
Classism, Socioeconomic Status, and Emotional
Responses on College Campuses
Austin P. Hudson (Cathleen Power),
Westminster College
Easel 5
Conantokins from Conus bocki are NR2D
Selective Nmdar Antagonists
Randall J. Platt (Baldomero M. Olivera),
University of Utah
28
PM Poster Session
1:30–3:15 PM
Easel 11
Thermostability of the CheY Protein in
Thermophilic Bacteria
Colby S. Duncan (William Deutschman),
Westminster College
Easel 19
An Interactive Approach to Statistics Education
Using Virtual Manipulatives
Jonathan J. Call, Adelle M. Curtis, and
Jay D. Jones (Kady Schneiter), Utah State
University
Easel 12
Regulation of Stress Gene Expression During
Brine Shrimp Development and After
Treatment with Selenium
Thomas Paresi (Brian Avery), Westminster
College
Easel 20
Vocal Quality Changes: The Effects of an
Inversion Table on Singers
Karlie Rhodes Ady (Cindy Dewey), Utah
State University
Easel 13
Transnational Migration’s Effects on Ejidos of
Southeast Mexico
Dani Babbel (Claudia Radel), Utah State
University
Easel 21
A Search for Ideological Identification Bias
in CBS and ABC Nightly News Coverage of
United States Senators, 1991-2000
Katherine Reeve (James Strickler), Utah
State University
Easel 14
Discovering Metabolic Networks of Bovine
Fertilization
Erin Young (Lee Rickords), Utah State
University
Easel 22
Knowledge of Coumadin Use in Atrial
Fibrillation Patients
Krista S. Viau, Heidi Moss, and Jessica
Oliver (Megan Bunch), Utah State
University
Easel 15
Body Composition Analysis: Species Dependent
Obesity Susceptibility in OM and S5B Rats
Heather Curtis (Tim Gilbertson and Dane
Hansen), Utah State University
Easel 23
The Discounted Cash-flow Model and the Cost
of Common Equity
Nicholas L. Rupp and Craig A. Maughan (J.
Robert Malko), Utah State University
Easel 16
Wildfire Soil Bioremediation
James Neiswender (Anne Anderson), Utah
State University
Easel 24
The Quality of Customer-feedback Mechanisms:
A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Retail Comment
Cards
Nikelle Holbrook (Ken Bartkus), Utah State
University
Easel 17
Experimental Design for Biological Engineering
Jay D. Jones (Richard Cutler), Utah State
University
Easel 25
Phytosiderophore Exudation from the Roots of
Kentucky Bluegrass
Emily A. Buxton and Ryan C. Christensen
(Bryan G. Hopkins and Von D. Jolley),
Brigham Young University
Easel 18
Signaling Properties of AGS1 and Rhes
Jeffrey Davis (Brett Adams), Utah Sate
University
29
PM Poster Session
1:30–3:15 PM
Easel 26
Reliability of a Sitting and a Prone Neck
Extensor Endurance Test
Jacqueline P. Carpenter and Jessica
Richardson (A. Wayne Johnson), J. William
Myrer, J. Brent Feland, and Matthew K.
Seeley, Brigham Young University
Easel 32
Local Ordinances that Promote Physical Activity
Tania L. Lounsbury, Trenton Robertson, and
Jonathan P. Brooks (Shaunna K. Burbidge),
Brigham Young University
Easel 33
A Comparative Study of Uses of a Nabataean
Tomb Platform
Thomasina I. Morris (David Johnson),
Brigham Young University
Easel 27
Does Foreign Aid Deteriorate All Recipient
States’ Quality of Governance?
Janessa L. Sarmiento (Daniel Nielson),
Brigham Young University
Easel 34
Phylogenetics Based on mtDNA and Nuclear
DNA of the Dipsadines: A Clade of Neotropical
Colubird Snakes
Thomas H. Beckstead and Daniel G.
Mulcahy (Jack W. Sites, Jr.), Brigham Young
University
Easel 28
Subtypes of Autism Based on Corpus Callosum
Microstructure: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging
and Neuropsychological Study
Jared A. Nielsen, Nicholas T. Lange, Andrew
L. Alexander, Jee E. Lee, Molly Dubray, and
Alyson Froehlich (Erin D. Bigler and Janet
E. Lainhart), Brigham Young University
Easel 35
Phylogenetic Relationships Among
Mesoamerican Bufonids
S. Tyler Williams (Jack W. Sites, Jr.),
Brigham Young University
Easel 29
Decentralization and Aid Effectiveness: A
Cross-national Study
Rebecca A. Perry (Daniel Nielson and
Michael Findley), Brigham Young
University
Easel 36
Design and Construction of a Sustainable
Restroom Facility for a Rural
Mexican Schoolhouse
Wendy M. Thompson, Kyle J. Robe, and
Paul A. Dixon, (Brett Borup), Brigham
Young University
Easel 30
ROC1 and ROC2: Interactions with the
Nuclear Variant of BMP4
Ryan D. Cordner and Trina J. Loos (Laura
C. Bridgewater), Brigham Young University
Easel 37
Characterization of the Painted Lubricant
Coating on Barns Xlc Coated X Bullets
Josh Knapton, Klint Epperson, and Paul
Lawrence (Gary H. Naisbitt), Utah Valley
University
Easel 31
The Time Management Practices of University
Students: A Time Log Analysis
David Richardson, Andrew S. Proctor, Ryan
G. Johnson, Brandon S. King, and Scott D.
Lamb (Bruce L. Brown), Brigham Young
University
Easel 38
Racecars on the Bonneville Speedway
Kevin A Petersen (Todd Low), Utah Valley
University
30
PM Poster Session
1:30–3:15 PM
Easel 39
Gas Chromatograph Comparison of Bio-diesel
Made From Three Different Feedstocks
Jeff Kubalek (Kent Walker), Utah Valley
University
Easel 40
Math Education with the Lego Mindstorm
Suzanne B. Marchant (Elaine Tuft and
Genan Anderson), Utah Valley University
Easel 41
The Role of Glycogen Metabolism in
Glucuronidation of Methyumbelliferyl
Chad Edwards and J. Pickering (Glendon
Parker), Utah Valley University
Easel 42
Eating Habits
Celisa Packer and Katie Bunnell (Grace
Chou), Utah Valley University
Easel 43
Identifying Ovarian Cancer-specific Claudin 16
Binding Peptides
Kasey R. Schuster (Colleen D. Hough), Salt
Lake Community College
31
Oral Abstracts A
Oral Session A1
9:00–10:30 AM
Key: Time, Title of Project, Student Presenter, (Mentor), School, Session, Room
Fine Arts
Moderator: Sean Desilets, Westminster College
Converse 202
9:00–9:15 am
Making Film
Colin McDermott (Connie Wilkerson), University of Utah
Oral Session A1, Converse 202
Filmmaking is a form of artistic expression. Whether it is a narrative, documentary, or
experimental film, it is given birth through artistic inspiration, which is elusive but found
in everyday life. Writing down a brief sketch of the story allows the idea to grow and
develop. A film is an expression of the filmmaker’s views of the world and should have
a message or premise. Carefully considering the convenience, talent, or look of an actor
is crucial to finding one that fits the roles in a film. Just as important as those in front
of the camera are those behind who oversee the technical aspects of the film such as
lighting and sound. The next step is to plan shots, pick locations, and create a production
schedule. Planning of shots is done with a storyboard; each shot is sketched out and
placed in chronological sequence to give a general idea of the look of the scene. A camera
is a vitally important as are lighting and sound equipment. The three features a camera
needs to be adequate for filmmaking are the exposure, the zoom, and the focus. Lighting
is set up usually with a three light system; the fill light, the key light, and the back light.
Once the set is ready for your actors, shooting can begin. Once filmed, the footage needs
to be transferred to a medium in which it can be edited. The editing of a film can be basic
invisible editing, where the audience doesn’t notice it, or stylistic, to create a certain mood
or feel. The film is created after this process, and the last step is for it to be shown. The
viewer experiences the filmmaker’s vision, and if the film is successful, the viewer is able to
understand the artistic vision of the filmmaker.
9:15–9:30 am
Workshops with the Dramaturge
Janna L. Grass (Christopher Clark), Utah Valley University
Oral Session A1, Converse 202
Dramaturgy is the craft of theatrical research. This craft is used in all aspects of theatre,
whether in design, directing, acting, language coaching, historical background studies,
producing, marketing, etc. Dramaturgy is conducted before a play is produced, and
32
Oral Session A1 9:00–10:30 AM
is used to better the understanding of all those who are involved with the production
of a play. Under the direction of Professor Christopher Clark, dramaturgical work was
done with eight of the plays the Theatre: England and Scotland Study Abroad students
experienced on their trip. The specialized areas in which research was conducted were:
historical backgrounds, story and plot structures, the dynamics of thematic elements, and
the practical use of dramaturgy in an educational setting. Workshops were conducted
with Professor Clark prior to the departure, inviting those participating in the study
abroad trip to learn more about the shows. These workshops were based on our research,
and were used to teach theoretical and practical knowledge of these shows so that the
students, as audience members and performers, would be able to view the shows with a
new kind of intellectual perspective. The workshops conducted were designed to remind
them of the techniques these students had learned for evaluating plays, and to help them
solidify in their minds the need for an advanced knowledge of many of the aspects of a
production. Once on the trip, the research was put to practical use, and was made available
for questions and tutoring on the trip, so that if the students had any further concerns,
they could be addressed with a resident dramaturge. At the invitation of Professor Clark,
I also assumed the role of the dramaturge for Flies in the Snuffbox, the production these
students performed in the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland.
9:30–9:45 am
Results from 2008-2009 UVU Music, Dance, and Cognition Survey
Rachel K. Hicken (Ron J. Hammond), Utah Valley University
Oral Session A1, Converse 202
Performers strive for excellence. Whatever the genre or specialism, at the highest level,
expressive impact supported by flawless execution is the goal…” (Williamon, A. 2004)
High expectations of performance are held by most fine arts performers. Dancers and
musicians dedicate years of practice, study, and performance to reach their desired skills.
Many studies have established the relationship between the self-discipline required to
be a musician or dancer and the performers’ academic capacities. Although it has never
been established scientifically, researchers assume that music and dance self-discipline are
causally related to higher academic abilities. A few recent studies (ranging from kindergarten
to university students) have analyzed music styles, practices, and skills in comparison to
academic performance. This scientific study is the first of its kind at UVU and is based on
a random sample of all UVU students in comparison to a sample of all music and dance
majors. The core hypotheses were: 1) There are measurable higher academic, cognitive, and
study skills levels among music and dance majors in comparison to other UVU students; and
2) There are measurable higher academic, cognitive, and study skills levels among students
who have ever had music and dance experience in comparison to those UVU students
who have not. To test these hypotheses UVU’s Institutional Research Department solicited
students via email to take a 15 minute online survey. The results from the data analysis
revealed a number of expected and surprising findings. Correlational findings support a
strong claim of self-discipline influencing positive outcomes. Implications for these findings
are valuable for student recruiting and retention efforts.
33
Oral Session A1 9:00–10:30 AM
9:45–10:00 am
Rape as Spectacle in Hollywood Cinema
Ashley M. Robertson (Jans Wager), Utah Valley University
Oral Session A1, Converse 202
Rape in Hollywood cinema cannot be represented without eroticizing the victim. Because
Hollywood is dedicated to objectifying the female form, representations of rape fall
into the trap of providing pleasure in looking for a generic heterosexual male spectator.
Representations of rape victims exploit women sexually (The Accused, 1988). Classic
Hollywood cinema produced a female protagonist who exuded “to-be-looked-at-ness,”
a construct that puts women’s bodies on display for an audience. This is particularly
apparent in rape scenes. In portraying rape, the woman’s body is eroticized by not only
being laid out explicitly for the attacker, but for the audience as well. The Accused explores
whether or not a lower-class, white, sexually active and aggressive woman “asked” to be
gang raped because she was provocatively dressed and flirty. Furthermore, in rape-revenge
films, such as I Spit on your Grave (1978)) and Descent (2007), the victim continues to be
visually eroticized after her rape, as she seeks revenge for her attack. Media representation
defines rape through obscure, pop-culture truisms as discussed by Sarah Projansky in
Watching Rape: film and television in postfeminist culture. These truisms often include the
notion that rapists are not the villains; rather, the people watching and encouraging the
rape are the villains. Simultaneously, the male hero also watches the rape, but eventually
speaks out about it. Both of these notions satisfy men’s desire to view women sexually
while ignoring women’s reality and experience of rape.
10:00–10:15 am
Karl Friedrich Schinkel: Theatrics of Nationalsim
Allison Slighting (Heather Belnap Jensen), Brigham Young University
Oral Session A1, Converse 202
Scholarship concerning Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781-1841) has been primarily limited
to his architectural work and early painting career, with some attention to his occupation
regarding the German stage. While scholars have related his work to Romanticism, few
have made connections to his nationalist tendencies. The nationalistic drive was strongly
embraced by the bourgeois of the German principalities during the nineteenth century and
was established in Schinkel’s mind as well. Concerning his nationalist affinity however, no
scholarship has been conducted in relation to Schinkel’s interest in the power of theatre.
The theatre had a valuable impact on nationalism and was instrumental to the remainder
of Schinkel’s aesthetic career. My research in this area is significant because it reveals the
importance of the theatre as an inspiration for much of Schinkel’s artistic oeuvre.
Friedrich Schiller, German theorist and dramatist, claimed that the aesthetic was the hinge
between the raw sensations of the exasperated or isolated individual and reason. He wrote,
“if man is ever to solve that problem of politics in practice he will have to approach it
through the problem of the aesthetic, because it is only through Beauty that man makes
his way to Freedom.” Schinkel believed in the power of visual instruction to cultivate and
inspire change in society and the theatricality evident in his work demonstrates his desire
for national political unification.
This paper will uncover the significant influence of theatre behind the artistic oeuvre of
Karl Friedrich Schinkel as not only an inspirational tool, but also for Schinkel’s role in the
promotion of nationalism among the Germanic principalities, specifically in his painting
Gottischer Dom am Wasser.
34
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session A2
9:00–10:30 AM
Interdisciplinary-Multicultural
Moderator: Alexander M. Panin, Utah Valley University
Converse B1
9:00–9:15 am
Sleep Habits and Academic Performance in Secondary Schools in Mukono, Uganda
William C. Baldwin; Co-authors: Steven J. Hite, Julie M. Hite, and Christopher B. Mugimu
(Julie M. Hite), Brigham Young University
Oral Session A2, Converse B1
In third-world countries, secondary education seeks to educate the rising generation. Yet
health issues present challenging, and often treatable, factors for student achievement.
In Uganda, a major health issue is sleep deprivation among secondary school students,
which can result in underachievement in academic performance. Consequently students
may experience lower (if any) post-secondary education, leading to fewer significant
job opportunities, lower lifetime income potential, and other unnecessary sub-optimal
life conditions. To understand the relationship between sleep habits and academic
performance, this study obtained 168 questionnaires regarding sleep habits and the
most recent academic grades for 179 secondary students in Mukono District, Uganda.
In addition, a sub-set of 6 students and 17 staff members were interviewed to increase
specific understanding of the sleep context in schools. Statistical analyses examined the
relationship between sleep habits and performance, while qualitative methods identified
key recurring contextual themes. Findings report the relationship of sleep habits and sleep
deprivation (frequent report of student “doziness” during class and 6 hours average sleep
per night) to student achievement. This research will inform secondary education policy
and school administrators to recognize challenging sleep habits and make adjustments to
improve students sleep habits, thereby potentially improving academic performance.
9:15–9:30 am
Miriam’s Song: A Powerful Voice
Kathy Gubler (Sue Bennett), Dixie State College
Oral Session A2, Converse B1
American children should read multi-cultural literature in order for them to gain
compassion, understanding, and appreciation for people of other races, cultures, and
nationalities. Instead of trying to shelter children from the outside world, educators should
be preparing them to live as adults in a global world. Americans need to understand that
oppression and crimes against humanity did not begin or end with the fall of the Nazis
in World War II. We cannot prevent similar tragedies in the world around us if we are
ignorant about contemporary political situations.
35
Oral Session A2 9:00–10:30 AM
One example of a book that should be required reading in American high schools is
Miriam’s Song: A Memoir by Mark Mathabane. Miriam’s Song is a heart-wrenching personal
account of how Bantu education affected black children under the rule of apartheid
in South Africa. Miriam is an amazing girl, for her courage, as well as her thirst for
knowledge. Even though she experiences horrific abuse, she refuses to give up hope. Many
other children are suffering similar fates in the world today, and we should teach our
children to have compassion for the oppressed instead of ignoring these tragedies beyond
our borders. We need to educate our teens on real-world political issues, and requiring
multicultural literature, such as Miriam’s Song will help achieve that goal.
9:30–9:45 am
Decoration under Fire: A Discussion on the Use of Pompeian Frescos as a Dating Technique
Megan E. McShane (Jaime Bartlett), Brigham Young University
Oral Session A2, Converse B1
Frescos found in Pompeii, Italy dating to the 1st century AD are well known as some of
the best example of ancient interior design. Pompeii was buried in 79 AD by an eruption
of Mt. Vesuvius and was discovered in the late 18th century by the Bourbons of France.
Frescos found intact on the walls were miraculously preserved due to the volcanic mud
and ash that fell on the city and gave researchers an unprecedented insight into Roman
interior design from 200 BC to 79 AD. These frescos are used as a template for dating and
comparing decorations found in various sites around Pompeii, but are they an accurate
template for all sites found on Mt Vesuvius? The question posed in this research regards
the veracity of using Pompeian typologies to understand the wall decorations found in
two new sites, which although physically near Pompeii, were in use for 400 years after
Pompeii was buried. These sites are the first in a new line of inquiry being addressed by
Vesuvian archaeologists, and the technique of fresco analysis, while it has advantages, has
some setbacks. Pompeii was a large city, but not in use at the time. These new sites are
small country estates, and the inhabitants of these communities would have had more
design influence from thriving cities such as Rome or Naples. This research describes the
Pompeian fresco and architectural styles, explains the process of fresco analysis, explores
reasons why Pompeian frescos are inappropriate comparisons of design techniques, and
finally offers a new direction that fresco analysis could take in understanding the wall
decorations of these sites.
36
Oral Session A2 9:00–10:30 AM
9:45–10:00 am
Intergenerational Language Attitudes and Vitality: The Navajo Language Shift
Jesse Egbert (Wendy Baker), Brigham Young University
Oral Session A2, Converse B1
The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of language identity on whether or not
residents of the Navajo Nation shift to speaking English. While scholars have enumerated
many possible reasons for language shift (i.e., Benally & Viri, 2005), some believe that
the most influential factor is the language attitudes of a speech community (i.e., Bradley,
2002). Little research has explored the specific reasons that affect Navajo speakers’ attitudes
towards and use of Navajo, nor how these attitudes may differ depending on the age of the
speaker.
Thus, the goal of the current study was to determine whether there is significant language
attitude variation between different age groups of Navajo speakers living in the Navajo
Nation and what factors may have led to these differences. After completing a language
attitudes questionnaire, Navajo speakers from three age groups completed a survey
documenting with whom and how often they speak English.
Preliminary results indicate definite variation between the three age groups. The language
attitudes of the older subjects toward Navajo appear to be more positive than those of the
younger subjects. Likewise, the attitudes of Navajo youth toward English and America seem
to be more positive than those of the older subjects. The theoretical implications of this
study and its conclusions, as well as suggestions for language maintenance in areas such as
the Navajo Nation, will be discussed in detail.
10:00–10:15 am
A Comparative Study: Language Attitudes and Linguistics Practice in Amazonian Ecuador
Bradley B. Miller (Janis Nuckolls), Brigham Young University
Oral Session A2 Converse B1
Many years ago, Quichua was the common language spoken in many parts of Amazonian
Ecuador (Haboud, 1998). Because of westernization and migration, we hypothesized
that Spanish is slowly replacing Quichua as the commonly spoken language. Though
sociolinguistic research has been done in Andean Ecuador to document language usage
and loss, these interviews did not represent the Amazonian Pastaza province. Therefore,
the purpose of this project was to determine the language vitality of Quichua in the
province of Pastaza through personal interviews with the natives themselves. Though
data analysis is not yet complete, what has been observed shows an interesting trend. Our
hypothesis is that those who were interviewed in Spanish may be, on the whole, more
negative in their expressed opinions of Quichua vitality and usage than those who were
interviewed in Quichua. We predict a larger sense of pride and determination to preserve
the language in Quichua conducted interviews. Because the interviews were specifically
targeting Quichua vitality, we hope to show the usefulness of language attitude surveys
when conducted in the dominant language.
37
Oral Session A2 9:00–10:30 AM
10:15–10:30 am
A Comparison of What Adult Ugandan Community Members Consider to Be Important Historical
Events and What Historical Events Are Actually Being Taught to Ugandan Students.
Tali C. Whittemore (Julie M. Hite), Brigham Young University
Oral Session A2, Converse B1
A primary goal of secondary schools is to prepare students to participate responsibly in
their community and government. Ugandan community members were asked what five
historical topics/events were the most important for students to understand in order
for them to achieve this objective. Their answers were compared with the responses of
Ugandan secondary school students to the same question. The responses of both groups
were compared to determine what historic topics secondary school students have actually
been taught and subsequently consider to be important and if students are being taught
what adult community members think they should be taught. Interviews were conducted
with 32 adult community members, 14 secondary school history teachers, and 32
secondary school students. The responses of the adult community members and history
teachers reflect more recent history (within the last half of the 20th Century) and primarily
concern political events. The achievement of Uganda’s independence was the most popular
historic topic; it was named by 44 percent of the community members and 71 percent of
the history teachers. Among students, the answers had very little uniformity—neither as a
group nor in comparison with the answers of the adults. Only 13 percent named Ugandan
independence. The difference between the responses of the students and those of the
adults shows that students are not being taught what the adults consider to be the most
important and the extreme variation in the responses of the students indicates that the
history curriculum among the different schools lacks uniformity.
38
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session A3
9:00–10:30 AM
Social Science-Religion
Moderator: Mark Rubinfeld, Westminster College
Converse B18
9:00–9:15 am
Peace and Conflict: The Relationship Between Religion and Perceptions of War: A Salt Lake City,
Utah Study of Four Christian Denominations
Melissa Aldape (Laurence Loeb), University of Utah
Oral Session A3, Converse B18
Successful social conflict resolution is informed by a clear understanding of the culture
involved, including perceived notions of conflict, violence, war, and possible solutions.
Christianity remains an important part of American society, having a major impact on
politics though the various expressions of different denominations. The goal of this project
is to explore the role of contemporary Christian churches in promoting non-violence
and peace efforts by comparing attitudes toward violence and war as well as initiatives to
promote peace on behalf of churches and individual members. By investigating the belief
systems about and involvement in peace or war efforts, we can move toward understanding
socio-religious factors in local Christian communities promoting peace activism. Members
of four churches were interviewed for the study: Baptists, Catholics, Mennonites and
Quakers. Comparisons were made among churches on: (1) attitudes of members towards
war in general, (2) opinions about the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Sudan in particular,
(3) the importance of non-violence and peace teaching and involvement in each church,
and (4) actions taken by individuals and their churches to promote peace. The results shed
light on divergent Christian approaches to war and peace and its impact on adherence
behavior. I will demonstrate that religious communities actively supporting peace activism
through certain educational and productive opportunities will have a higher percentage of
members dedicated to peaceful resolution of social conflict.
9:15–9:30 am
Dream Archetypes: A Jungian Dream Analysis of the Visionary Accounts of Three Medieval
Beguine Mystics
Joseph Christian Straubhaar (Michelle James), Brigham Young University
Oral Session A3, Converse B18
I will closely examine Mechthild von Magdeburg’s Fließende Licht der Gottheit, Hadewijch
von Brabant’s visionary accounts, and Marguerite Porete’s The Mirror of Simple Souls
for important symbols and archetypes and do both individual and collective analyses
using Carl G. Jung’s theoretical models. Because Jung focused heavily on the relationship
between the psychological and the spiritual, his models will provide a theoretical
39
Oral Session A3 9:00–10:30 AM
perspective from which to analyze the psychological implications and undertones of
the mystic works, focusing especially on dream analysis techniques, because visions and
dreams are both very personal literary works for which the dreamer or mystic cannot claim
true responsibility of authorship, and yet which reveal very fascinating aspects relating
to the individuals and their greater societies. I will also briefly explore their individual
reasons for publicizing their visions, when those are discernable, and feel I can attribute
much of their insistence to relatively altruistic grounds—using their in-between position
to connect ideas from both clergy and laity and thus to share their personal insights into
the internal world with an increasingly literate public, acting, one could say, as prototherapists themselves. I am doing this work as my undergraduate honors thesis, and will
probably condense it to a simplified form for the purposes of presenting at this conference.
9:30–9:45 am
Family Struggles Are Not Unique to Our Generation: Polygamy in the New Era and Ensign
Magazines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the 1970s
Miriam Washburn (Rebecca L. DeSchweinitz), Brigham Young University
Oral Session A3, Converse B18
Historians have done a considerable amount of research on what polygamy was like in
the early years of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). However,
not as much research has been done on how polygamy is portrayed in Church magazines
like the New Era and the Ensign. To better understand what recent portrayals of polygamy
reflect about contemporary views about gender roles in the LDS Church, I explored how
the Church magazines have portrayed polygamy since the 1970s. To do this, I researched
all references to polygamy in the New Era and Ensign since their creation in 1971. I noticed
certain trends in the number and nature of the references to polygamy that change over
time and that correlate with movements in the LDS Church and the United States during
the 1970s. My research focused on explaining why there were more references to polygamy
in the New Era and the Ensign in the 1970s and what the nature of the references show
about gender attitudes in the LDS Church.
9:45–10:00 am
Bled Together: The Parallels and Unions of the Dimensionally Separated Worlds of Mormons and
Vampires
Holly K. Guile (Karin Anderson), Utah Valley University
Oral Session A3, Converse B18
The dimensionally separated worlds of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or
Mormons and Vampires find commonality and perhaps ancestry. Similar to New Religion
stemming from the Old by borrowing from myths and legends, Mormon practices and
theologies can find its lineage in Vampire mythology. Mormon beliefs exhibit the parallels
to ancient Vampire legends from the method and rate of conversion to the importance of
eternity, blood, and the rising from the grave and regeneration, “Therefore we are buried
with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the
glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4), though
described in the New Testament, baptism by immersion is a practice unique to Mormon
theology. Dissimilarly from the New taking from the Old then leaving it in historical
obscurity, the endurance of the Vampire and Mormon feed off of each other and continue
on into the future together.
40
Oral Session A3 9:00–10:30 AM
10:00–10:15 am
Traces of Ancient Roman Paganism in Modern Day Spain
Meradith M. Christensen (Greg Briscoe), Utah Valley University
Oral Session A3, Converse B18
At its territorial peak, the Roman Empire encompassed nearly 2.5 million square miles of
land surface, extending from the northwestern region of Africa and the Iberian Peninsula
across the Mediterranean Sea to the eastern border of Palestine. One cannot dispute
the immeasurable influence of ancient Rome through the centuries, not only upon the
European continent but throughout diverse parts of the world. The transition from a
polytheistic pagan empire to a monotheistic Christian empire is viewed as one of history’s
most profound and pivotal turning points. This paper explores the evidences of Roman
paganism in modern times, focusing specifically on the evidence that is found in
predominantly Catholic Spain. Despite radical changes that Christianity brought about in
the ancient world, there are many polytheistic practices and beliefs that have been carried
forward via the Catholic Church which maintain their place at the most fundamental
level of Spanish culture today. These include the significance of the worship of saints in
Spanish culture and the relationship between saints’ individual stewardships and those of
their corresponding pagan counterparts. Another important relationship discussed in this
work is the comparison between the ancient worship of the mother-goddess Isis and the
worship of Mary in modern day Catholicism practiced in Spain.
10:15–10:30 am
What Is a Juggalo: A Function Alternative to Religion
Ashley R. Davis (Mark Rubinfeld), Westminster College
Oral Session A3, Converse B18
This senior thesis discusses the identity and faith of Juggalos, who are the followers of a
band called Insane Clown Posse. Providing an overview of Insane Clown Posse, I will look
at how a Juggalo’s way of life and belief system has many similarities to that of alternative
religions through their community bond. I intend to discuss the phenomenon of the
Juggalo in order to educate readers about the life of a Juggalo, the community that is
created by them, and to discuss the importance of this particular group of contemporary
youth and the social movement they have created for themselves. This will entail looking
at theories of Gemeinschaft, Sense of Community theory, and alternative religions. To
collect the information, I will be combining ethnographic research and secondary analysis.
What I expect to find is a relationship between Juggalo identity and faith as it pertains to
their sense of community and how it could be argued that they have formed their own
alternative religion. Finally, I anticipate explaining why the Juggalo community shouldn’t
be referenced in a negative way.
41
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session A4
9:00–10:30 AM
Education
Moderator: Jeffrey W. Bulger, Utah Valley University
Gore 106
9:00–9:15 am
Patterns in the Way Children Choose Their Friends
Emily Furse (Genan Anderson), Utah Valley University
Oral Session A4, Gore 106
The purpose of my research study is to see if there is any correlation between culture and
friendship in elementary students. I am also researching to see if age and Morning Meeting
affects the correlation. My hypothesis is that younger students will be more accepting of
students from other cultures. I also hypothesize that if the teacher uses Morning Meeting
in their classroom then the students will have more friends from other cultures. I feel that
this research will be valuable information for teachers who have multi cultural classrooms.
9:15–9:30 am
Does Westminster’s English Program Accomplish Its Goals? A Qualitative Approach
Kendall J. Van Horssen (Chris LeCluyse), Westminster College
Oral Session A4, Gore 106
My project’s intent is to determine whether entry-level composition classes (ENGL 110)
at Westminster College successfully help students develop their writing abilities both in
general and for their prospective majors and whether they will be using the skills that they
have gained to dive into more non-academic writing such as journals, blogs, or creative
writing. I will also determine if they have used the Writing Center on campus during the
current semester in order to identify whether this college resource is being used to further
develop student writing.
9:30–9:45 am
Explaining Variaiton in Accentedness Among Adult English Speaking Learners of Russian
Lanise G. Thompson (Jane Hacking), University of Utah
Oral Session A4, Gore 106
The acquisition of native-like phonology is generally assumed to be unattainable for
second language (L2) learners who come to the language as adults. However, it is not the
case that outcomes are uniform for all. Some late learners are, in terms of L2 phonology,
more successful than others. In this study we attempt to understand the varied levels
of accentedness among a group of adult native English speaking learners of Russian.
42
Oral Session A4 9:00–10:30 AM
Specifically, we examine the relationship between global accentedness rating of the
participants and a series of individual variables, for example, attitudes towards the target
culture and importance of ‘sounding native-like.’ Participants in the study are American
students who have spent extended periods of time living in a Russian speaking milieu.
Each participant completed a background questionnaire, which provided information
about instructional history, motivation, attitudes to Russian and Russians and so on.
A recording of each participant reading the same short passage was given to two native
speaker raters who provided a global accentedness-judgment for each participant’s sample.
The paper presents analysis of the participant data and the accentedness ratings.
9:45–10:00 am
Youth Voice in Service Learning at the Middle/High School Level
Shanna Bylund (Carol Albrecht), Utah State University
Oral Session A4, Gore 106
Service Learning programs are becoming increasingly popular in public education, but
educators often find it difficult to implement a successful program and still meet the
other demands of their professional roles. One aspect that can significantly influence
student outcomes is the quantity and quality of student involvement in the early stages of
brainstorming and planning as well as in the execution of the project. This paper seeks to
identify and examine factors that contribute to the success of this program. Specifically,
we examine the relationship between youth voice in Service Learning and educational
outcomes for middle/high school students. In our research, youth voice and self efficacy
is positively related to the success of the program, even after controlling for other relevant
factors. Our data has several unique characteristics. First, much of the existing research
on Service Learning focuses on students in higher education while our sample consists of
students and teachers in middle and high schools. Second, our sample uses multimethods
including focus groups, content analysis, telephone interviews and self administered
surveys. Third, we do not assess our own Service Learning Program. Finally, we collected
data from a number of different participants namely parents, service learning community
partners, teachers, service learning coordinators and students. The results of this study seek
to expand previous research, particularly in the understanding of youth voice as a means
of more effective Service Learning programs.
10:00–10:15 am
Competitive Effects of Charter Schools: A Cross-state Analysis
Daniel Argyle (Joseph Price), Brigham Young University
Oral Session A4, Gore 106
Charter schools have recently gained popularity as a method of reforming the school
system in the United States. Proponents argue that charter schools’ autonomy and
flexibility make them a better educational environment and increase student achievement.
Additionally, charter schools are touted as a method of improving the public education
43
Oral Session A4 9:00–10:30 AM
system through healthy competition. However, others believe that charter school students
do not perform as well as students in traditional public schools. Others worry that
charter schools create socioeconomic stratification, as students of similar racial, societal,
and economic background tend to be those who leave the traditional public school
setting. Research on the effects of charter schooling has been varied with little consistent
evidence regarding these fundamental arguments. This paper is an examination of charter
schools using national data from United States Department of Education. This analysis
focuses on changes in conventional public schools when charter schools are opened
nearby. Examining changes allows for a thorough analysis of the socioeconomic and
educational effects of charter schools. Preliminary results indicate that charter schools
are more ethnically diverse and economically more prosperous than their public school
counterparts. The results for educational achievement are less clear, providing limited
evidence that charter schools are more effective at teaching reading while public schools
are better at teaching math. Additional analysis utilizing the availability of additional
batteries of student testing will provide a clearer picture of student achievement.
Conclusions from this research could substantially affect school reform policies across the
United States.
10:15–10:30 am
The Role of Elementary Education in American Society
Leah Bulger (Joylin Namie), Utah Valley University
Oral Session A4, Gore 106
Education is a universal value and the cornerstone of all societies yet each society seems to
have different cultures and beliefs as to how actualize education. In America, elementary
education is considered a women’s profession. Why is American elementary education
dominated by women, what prompts women to choose the profession and what is
elementary education’s actual place in the society? These issues are explored based on
ethnographic surveys and participant observation using different anthropological theories.
Cultural Configurationist theory is applied to evaluate and analyze the data in terms
of making some generalized assumptions about elementary school teachers that are
characteristic of American society. This approach allows us to see how the role of the
elementary teacher is perceived within society.
Structural Functionalist theory is applied to evaluate and analyze the data as to what
prompts people to become elementary school teachers and how this fits together on a
larger scale allowing the system to function. Malinowski’s model illustrates that elementary
school teachers serve a crucial role as suppliers for the education system.
Finally, Geertz’s approach of “thick description”, which examines the collected data and
analyzes the meaning behind it, is applied to evaluate and analyze the data in an interpretive sense.
When these three anthropological theories with their distinct evaluations are compared
and synthesized the resultant effect is a greater understanding of the role and function of
elementary education in America and how it is to be actualized.
44
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session A5
9:00–10:30 AM
Psychology
Moderator: Lesa Ellis, Westminster College
Room: Gore 107
9:00–9:15 am
The Single Woman and Fundamental Christian Norms
Lanora Nielson, (Wayne Shamo) Dixie State College
Oral Session A5, Gore 107
Divorce rates are on the rise throughout the United States particularly in Utah, changing
how America thinks of what a family should be. The ideal of what it is to be a family also
changes how single adults are thought of, and how they think of themselves. In the course
of this research project, I demonstrate how fundamental Christian norms coincide with
social norms of the LDS (Latter-day Saint) church. A single adult LDS woman is taught
from early childhood that she is to prepare to be a wife and mother. This is a social norm
for the LDS religion. This expectation is in conflict with the status of remaining single.
Whether always single, single from divorce, or single from death of a spouse, I hypothesize
that there is a correlation between the amount of time a woman is single and a decrease
in her desire to marry. I further hypothesize there is a correlation between LDS values and
social expectations that increase a woman’s need to find a husband.
9:15–9:30 am
False Friendships: The Use of and Immorality of Networking by Students for Admission into
Graduate School
Hans Romo (Michael Popich), Westminster College
Oral Session A5, Gore 107
The concept of networking, defined as an agent initiating contact with and maintaining
a relationship with an individual solely for the gains this relationship provides the agent
toward the achievement of a specific goal, has become thoroughly entrenched in virtually
every aspect of the modern social structure. In fact, networking plays a dominant role
in the field of American academia today, with individuals going so far as to mandate its
application for progression into graduate school. Truly, common advice seems to indicate
that an established relationship with a well-chosen professor will lead to acceptance in
the graduate school of your choice. After clearly conceptually analyzing the meaning of
networking and building off an Aristotelian understanding of friendship, certain ethicallyrelevant questions arise that must be addressed. Utilizing a deontological framework
based in the work of Immanuel Kant, specifically his second Categorical Imperative which
argues against the use of another person solely as a means to an end, one must easily
see the inherent failure of networking to follow this principle. Further, employing the
45
Oral Session A5 9:00–10:30 AM
Utilitarian point of view put forth by John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham, where the
utility, or happiness, of the situation must be maximized, one reveals the current failings
of networking to live up to this standard as well. Since networking fails to live up to the
moral standards put forth in these ethical systems and contains inadequacies preventing its
fulfillment of its intended role, the world of academia must rethink its utilization of this
concept in the current structure.
9:30–9:45 am
Breaking the Silence with SchoolTipline
Maren M. Dennis and Ashlee Villordo (Betty Y. Ashbaker), Brigham Young University
Oral Session A5, Gore 107
Students are often intimidated by traditional methods of reporting school violence such
as written or verbal reports of an incident made by a student to the school administrators,
counselors, or teachers. Since these traditional types of reporting usually involve personal
interaction and a lack of anonymity, many students are choosing not to report, leaving
the incident unresolved. Schools continue using less than optimal reporting and incident
management programs even with bullying statistics on the rise because they are rarely
presented with alternative systems.
Documented research must be conducted to identify the efficacy of bullying or incidence
reporting through the use of technology. In a rapidly changing society where bullying
and school violence are becoming more common, new technological developments
hold potential to assist school personnel in curbing the tide of bullying and other school
violence. Studies must explore whether or not these non-traditional methods of reporting
hold the keys for successful prevention and/or intervention programs.
SchoolTipline is an anonymous Web site for online bullying reporting. In the past three
years, it has been implemented into four junior high schools. Data collected so far are
promising. The study will now be extended to compare junior high school and high school
populations and discover if high schools are willing to use an anonymous computer
reporting system to report bullying and harassment incidents.
9:45–10:00 am
Forgiveness, Empathy, and Self-esteem: Relationships to Pro-social Behavior
Sealtiel A. Tinajero (Jeff Elison), Southern Utah University
Oral Session A5, Gore 107
Having noted the “bittersweet” feelings that result from reading about or watching
acts of forgiveness, we hypothesized that witnessing such acts and experiencing these
feelings would increase pro-social behavior. Undergraduates (n=31) viewed one of two
20-minute videos chosen to induce positive feelings via their content: stand-up comedy
or forgiveness. The comedy video was used to control for any effects on pro-social
behavior that might result simply from induction of positive mood. Using deception, the
participants were led to believe that the purpose of the study was to assess reactions to
46
Oral Session A5 9:00–10:30 AM
different types of media. Participants then completed measures of empathy (Interpersonal
Reactivity Index), specific emotions (PANAS), and mood (Momentary Mood Scale).
Finally, they were given an opportunity to behave pro-socially. Again using deception,
the researcher informed each participant that the experiment was over, but that he had
obtained permission from his professor to ask the participants for help on a raffle sale to
benefit the needy. Participants were given a sign-up sheet on which they could indicate 0,
30, 60, 90, or 120 minutes, different days they could volunteer, name, and phone number.
Minutes volunteered was used as the dependent variable assessing pro-social behavior.
Results indicated video type and participant age had significant effects on pro-social
behavior, with pro-social behavior being higher for the forgiveness video and increasing
as age increased. Video type also had a significant effect on the feelings of “strong,”
“inspired,” “distressed,” and “upset.” With two of these feelings being positive and two
being negative, they appear to capture the hypothesized “bittersweet” reaction. Video type
did not have a significant effect on empathy or self-esteem. In conclusion, witnessing
forgiveness induced “bittersweet” feelings and increased pro-social behavior.
10:00–10:15 am
School Violence and the Mitigating Effects of Bullying and Humiliation
Layne R. Oyler, Cami L. Sorenson, and Twila R. Kay (Jeff Elison), Southern Utah University
Oral Session A5, Gore 107
Past studies (Dansie, 2008; Keltner, 1997) have demonstrated that expressions of shame
and embarrassment serve an appeasement function by mitigating negative evaluations of
a targeted individual. Sympathy is one possible mechanism by which this appeasement
is achieved. Another mechanism may be through the display of deference or subordinate
status. Along with humiliation, these emotions have been associated with bullying and
school shootings (Elison & Harter, 2007). The present study investigated the appeasement
function of these self-conscious emotions within the context of a narrative describing
a school shooting. Participants received one of three versions of the narrative, with the
first version describing only the bare facts. The second version incorporated information
regarding previous bullying experienced by the shooter. The third version incorporated
the bullying information and additional information describing the shooter’s previous
experiences of shame, embarrassment, and humiliation. After reading the narrative,
participants completed the dependent measure, a questionnaire which assessed their
attitudes toward the shooter with regard to punishment and sympathy. Our primary
hypothesis was that information regarding the experience of self-conscious emotions,
would serve an appeasement function, elicit sympathy, and reduce punitive attitudes.
Results support this hypothesis as participants were more sympathetic and less punitive
toward the school shooter in the third version (bullying + emotion) in comparison to
the second (bullying). With regard to the bullying information, there was a significant
interaction between gender and the information on bullying when comparing the first
version (bare facts) and the second (bullying). Males were more sympathetic and less
punitive for the bullying version, whereas females displayed the opposite pattern. Post hoc
hypotheses to explain the unexpected interaction will be discussed.
47
Oral Session A5 9:00–10:30 AM
10:15–10:30 am
Recovery Project
Jason R. Katzenbach, Anna N. Cariello, Jason C. Basinger, and Weston V. Donaldson
(Robert Gleave), Brigham Young University
Oral Session A5, Gore 107
In 2003 SAMHSA launched its federal action agenda to change mental health care delivery
in the United States. Central to SAMHSAs federal action agenda was the idea that recovery
from mental illness is not only possible, but also the desired outcome for consumers of
mental health services. In this sense, recovery is not thought to be a complete amelioration
of psychiatric symptoms, but rather the acquiring of appropriate coping skills, independent
living, and meaningful work. In response to SAMHSAs federal action agenda the Utah
division of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI-Utah) initiated focus groups
of mental health consumers for the purpose of creating a way to monitor recovery among
mental health consumers in Utah. The focus groups generated 10 recovery indicators
based on SAMHSAs 10 fundamental components of recovery. The presentation will
include results of the pilot focus groups where the components of recovery were discussed.
The focus of our presentation would be on the positive psychology domains that were
identified and the NAMI recovery indicators.
48
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session A6
9:00–10:30 AM
Environmental Science
Moderator: Steven H. Emerman, Utah Valley University
Room: Gore 205
9:00–9:15 am
Rocks of the Divisadero Tuff, Sierra Madre Occidental Volcanic Field, Mexico and Their
Relationship to Water-well Productivity
Robert C. White (Michael P. Bunds, Steven H. Emerman, and Joel A. Bradford), Utah Valley
University
Oral Session A6, Gore 205
Many water wells drilled by the Jesuit Mission of Creel, Mexico in nearby Tarahumara
Indian villages have been unproductive. A hydrologic survey was conducted by the UVU
Department of Earth Science to aid future drilling. Our contribution to the project was to
document the lithology of rocks penetrated by 11 producing and 7 dry wells in hopes of
correlating rock type to well yield as determined by other workers in our group. The wells
all penetrate the Divisadero Tuff, a 29 Ma unit in the Sierra Madre Occidental Volcanic
Field. Rock samples were examined in outcrop and hand sample in the field; thin sections
were later made and examined petrographically. We found that the Divisadero Tuff
contains poorly to strongly welded lapilli tuffs. Poorly welded tuff is present in outcrop
at most poor-producing wells (hydraulic conductivities K < 1x10-7 m/s). In contrast,
strongly welded tuff outcrops at the two highest producing wells (hydraulic conductivities
K = 3.9x10-6 and 2.8x10-7m/s). Both strongly welded tuffs contain a welded matrix
and lithics and phenocrysts in greater abundance and size than the poorly-welded tuffs;
however, the mineralogy of the two welded tuffs differs from each other. The welded tuffs
grade upwards into poorly welded tuff, which represents individual cooling units formed
by single eruptive events, and the differing mineralogy of the welded tuffs indicates the
presence of at least two cooling units. The association of strongly welded tuffs and higher
conductivity wells raises the possibility that they form better aquifers, possibly as a result
of more fracturing or less alteration to clay, and warrants further investigation.
9:15–9:30 am
Groundwater Recharge by Red Pine Lake, Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah
Chris L. Jensen (Steven H. Emerman), Utah Valley University
Oral Session A6, Gore 205
The origin of paternoster lakes, the series of lakes found in glacial valleys, was once
regarded as the central problem of geomorphology. The inability of models to make
predictions regarding the location and spacing of paternoster lakes caused the problem
to fade from importance. A recent model by Dr. Emerman has proposed that paternoster
49
Oral Session A6 9:00–10:30 AM
lakes are not created by direct glacial erosion, but result from the readjustment of
drainage following glaciation. A critical part of the model is the recharge of groundwater
through the bed of a glacial lake. The objective of this study is to monitor the recharge
of groundwater by Red Pine Lake, a glacial lake in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah,
over the course of a year. Red Pine Lake has two inlet streams, one inlet spring, and one
outlet stream. In October 2008 discharge was measured in the inlet and outlet streams
using the USGS Pygmy Flowmeter and discharge was estimated in the inlet spring using
Manning’s Equation. Evaporation was measured by comparing the electrical conductivities
of the source waters with the average electrical conductivity of the lake. Combining the
above measurements with the observed drop in lake level yielded a monthly groundwater
recharge of 58,000 cubic meters. Inflow to the lake contributed 54% of the groundwater
recharge with the remainder coming from the drop in lake level. Further results will be
reported at the meeting.
9:30–9:45 am
Arsenic and Other Heavy Metals in Swimming Pools Fed by Hot Springs
Kevin A. Rey, Robert C. White, Salem M. Thompson, and Becky Y. Curtis (Steven H.
Emerman), Utah Valley University
Oral Session A6, Gore 205
The state of Utah and Utah County are considering regulations on swimming pools fed
by hot springs. The issues are whether swimming pool water should meet drinking water
standards, especially with regard to As, and whether source water or pool water should
be regulated. The objective of this study is to compare As and the heavy metals normally
associated with As with pools fed by hot springs and the sources of those pools. The sites
under study are three pools in Saratoga Springs that are owned by the Saratoga Springs
Homeowners’ Association, nine informal swimming pools at Diamond Fork Hot Springs
on U.S. Forest Service land, and five illegal swimming pools at Genola Warm Springs
Wildlife Management Area. Samples are being collected monthly from Diamond Fork and
Genola Warm Springs and weekly from Saratoga Springs. Samples are filtered through a
0.23-micron filter and preserved with acid in the field and pH is measured on site. The
Hach DR-2700 Spectrophotometer is used to measure As, Fe, Cu, Mn, Co, Ni and Zn.
Results thus far indicate elevated levels of As at Diamond Fork (As = (0.059 ± 0.002)
mg/L) and Saratoga Springs (As = 0.063 mg/L), in comparison with the EPA standard
for drinking water of As = 0.010 mg/L. Elevated levels of Cu ((2.8 ± 0.4) mg/L) found at
Saratoga Springs also exceed the EPA drinking water standard of Cu = 1.3 mg/L. Elevated
levels of Cu ((0.07 ± 0.04) mg/L), Co ((0.006 ± 0.004) mg/L), Mn ((0.4 ± 0.1) mg/L) and
Zn ((0.07 ± 0.01) mg/L) have been found at Genola Warm Springs and elevated levels of
Mn ((0.15 ± 0.06) mg/L) and Zn ((0.27 ± 0.05) mg/L) have been found at Diamond Fork.
No statistically significant differences in chemistry have been observed between any pool
and its source.
50
Oral Session A6 9:00–10:30 AM
9:45–10:00 am
Hydrologic Survey of Copper Canyon, Mexico: Water Chemistry
James P. Durand, Mallory A. Palmer, Ryan B. Anderson, Tracy L. Kemp, and Connie K.
Smith Barnes (Steven H. Emerman, Michael P. Bunds, and Joel A. Bradford), Utah Valley
University
Oral Session A6, Gore 205
The objective of this study was to carry out a hydrologic survey of 185 km2 of the Copper
Canyon volcanic tuff region near the village of Creel, Chihuahua, Mexico. This work was
done in cooperation with a Jesuit mission that drills wells for the Tarahumara Indians.
Water samples were collected from 11 wells, six springs, and eight streams. Wells were
purged before sampling. It was not possible to filter samples due to the abundance of clay
and samples were not preserved with acid. Electrical conductivity and pH were measured
on site. The Hach DR-2700 Spectrophotometer was used to measure As, Fe, Cu, Mn, Co,
Ni, Zn, K, Cl-, SO4-2, and Ca and Mg as CaCO3. All analyses have been completed with
the exception of As, which has been measured for one well, one stream, and one spring.
The As concentrations were As = 0.067 mg/L for the stream, As = 0.114 mg/L for the well,
and As = 0.054 mg/L for the spring, all of which were very high in comparison to the
WHO standard of As = 0.010 mg/L. Elevated concentrations were also measured for the
heavy metals that are normally associated with As, which for groundwater were Fe = (0.20
± 0.03) mg/L, Cu = (0.02 ± 0.05) mg/L, Mn = (0.33 ± 0.07) mg/L, Co = (0.034 ± 0.008)
mg/L, Ni = (0.013 ± 0.005) mg/L, and Zn = (0.23 ± 0.08) mg/L. Further results for As will
be reported at the meeting. It is anticipated that future work will focus on appropriate
water treatment.
10:00–10:15 am
Potential Development of a Perched Aquifer in Shallow Basalt Flows on a Pleistocene Shield
Volcano, Tamaula, Guanajuato, Mexico
Kevin A. Rey and Connie K. Smith Barnes (Michael P. Bunds, Steven H. Emerman, and Joel
A. Bradford), Utah Valley University
Oral Session A6, Gore 205
Tamaula, a village of approximately 400 residents in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, is
located near the top of a Pleistocene shield volcano. Tamaula’s population relies on three
local sources for water: 1) six natural springs, 2) two reservoirs, and 3) rooftop catchment
systems. These sources are insufficient and additional water must be trucked over 10 miles
of dirt roads. Three options exist to provide additional local water: 1) development of
additional springs in a perched aquifer, 2) expansion of the catchment area of reservoirs,
and 3) development of a deep well (250-650 m) to access the main water table. The
viability of the perched aquifer was assessed by performing a bail-down test in one spring
that had been developed into a shallow well. The head was observed over nine days. Using
the Bouwer-Rice slug test and assuming the depth of the aquifer equals the depth of the
well, the hydraulic conductivity K of the aquifer was found to be K= 2.1×10-7 m/s, which
is typical for fractured basalt. The recharge of the spring was equivalent to a yield of 120
51
Oral Session A6 9:00–10:30 AM
L/day. A drop in head from another spring 150 m away indicates that all springs utilized
by residents may be tapping the same perched aquifer and that further development of
the aquifer is unlikely to satisfy the village’s culinary water need of 20 L/person/day. The
proposed deep well, based on recommendations by the State Water Commission’s findings
using electromagnetic sounding, appears to be the best option because the village does not
want development of surface water.
10:15–10:30 am
I Can’t Believe People Drink This: Providing Clean Water to a Small, Thirsty Village in Mexico
Connie Richardson and Archie Craig (Joel A. Bradford, Michael P. Bunds, and Steven H.
Emerman), Utah Valley University
Oral Session A6, Gore 205
The original goal of our field study was to find reliable sources of water to provide
sufficient water year around for the village of Tamaula, Mexico, and then cleaning the
water supply. The water sources consist of spring water and seeps stored the volcanic
structures of the mountain, village reservoirs that are filled by runoff during the rainy
season and a deep well that is being proposed by the municipality of village. We went
to investigate ways to exploit the springs and seeps and the possibility of cleaning the
reservoir water to potable levels. Eight people went on the trip: two geology professors
with two students and one environmental management professor with two students.
Our presentation will focus on the reservoir water and how we could clean it. We used
jar testing to determine if it would be possible to reduce turbidity of the water to a level
that would allow a rapid sand filter to clean it to a potable level without clogging. We also
observed the social and political issues surrounding water management in the village.
The presentation will discuss the social and political hurdles we encountered in our
dealings with the villagers. It turns out that the science is the easy part. The social and
political aspects of the project are the hard parts. These are difficult lessons to learn in the
classroom.
52
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session A7
9:00–10:30 AM
Philosophy: Ethics
Moderator: Michael Popich, Westminster College
Gore 206
9:00–9:15 am
Ethical Issues Surrounding Genetic Intervention
Roger Aboud (James Tabery), University of Utah
Oral Session A7, Gore 206
As of mid-2008, there are more than 1,200 tests available to determine the genetic
component of a variety of disorders and predispositions. The state of Utah currently
requires 44 genetic tests be performed on all newborns as an intervention against certain
physical disorders and predispositions. The number of genetic tests available will continue
to increase in the future, which will require policymakers to make decisions concerning
what tests will be required, allowed, or prohibited. Guidelines for making such decisions
require understanding of the causal relationship between genotype and phenotype;
however, critical analysis of the causal criteria to justify these decisions is currently lacking.
We will attempt to ascertain what causal criteria is currently used to justify neonatal genetic
testing and what is sufficient or insufficient with such criteria related to the expression
of phenotypic traits. Further, we will explore the relationship between varying levels of
causal knowledge and justification for seeking genetic intervention. Based on this new
understanding of the causal criteria as a basis for policymaking, we will attempt to derive
ethical guidelines to bridge the gap between causal knowledge and the permissibility of
neonatal genetic intervention.
9:15–9:30 am
Efficiently Protecting Privacy and Confidentiality
David R. Kincaid (Leslie Francis), University Of Utah
Oral Session A7, Gore 206
As populations increase, the threat of a pandemic outbreak of an infectious disease
increases as well. Symptoms of these diseases can often be detected within a population
through remote sensing, such as with the SARS outbreak in Toronto a several years ago.
Gathering information to prevent an outbreak from occurring would seem to be the
right thing to do. This would protect other people by preventing the spread of a disease;
however, it is in this information gathering that a very serious risk lies. Invasion of privacy,
breach of confidentiality, and the restriction of personal liberties are the ethical issues of
concern. This threat may actually have other far-reaching effects because of the potentiality
of infringement into other aspects of our lives. At the heart of this debate is the protection
currently allotted to the individual’s privacy rights. Ideally, these laws should fully protect
53
Oral Session A7 9:00–10:30 AM
the individual while also protecting the health and safety of society. It cannot be denied
that what is in the best interest of the many often surpasses what is in the best interest
of the few. On the other hand, the rights of the individual are a key to society, in that we
cannot simply disregard an individual’s right to life and liberty and expect to live with
any kind of legitimate happiness. These two powers must be balanced. It is finding this
exact balance where the focus of this research project will rest. Our goal is to explicate
current utilitarian and communitarian justifications for limiting protection of privacy and
confidentiality to benefit the masses, while not compromising the individual rights.
9:30–9:45 am
Principlism Applied to the Military’s Responsibility of Care
Craig L. Bounous (Jeffrey W. Bulger and Elaine Englehardt), Utah Valley University
Oral Session A7, Gore 206
Principlism is an effective ethical lens through which to view broad moral values in an
attempt to understand decisions as they apply to inalienable rights. This approach is both
descriptive and prescriptive in nature, logically understanding the situation while directing
ethical action. With its application a morally-serious thinker can effectively understand
societal and individual decisions and their adherence to or separation from basic human
rights.
When viewed in this light, principlism can illuminate a number of quandaries, including
the military’s paternalistic stewardship over the servicemen and -women in its care,
the moral dilemma that envelopes the current U.S. lead wars abroad, and the military
administering healthcare to individuals wounded during the execution of military orders,
the latter being the substantive discussion of this paper.
Throughout the last five years, the U.S. military forces have taken prisoners of war,
detained terrorist suspects, been accused of crimes against civilians, and improperly
treated wounded soldiers returning home. Proponents of this action argue the necessity
of such brutal actions in the defense of the American people; opponents declare it
wholly inhumane and criminal on every level. To understand the ethics of these actions
principlism should be applied; the accountability of these actions must be weighed by
their adherence to the concepts of beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice,
virtues that should apply to all people as contained in the definition of inalienable human
rights.
9:45–10:00 am
The Croatian Holocaust and the Weapon of Forced Conversations: A Failed Genocide
Christopher P. Davey (Kathren Brown), Utah Valley University
Oral Session A7, Gore 206
Research into the crimes committed during the Holocaust in Croatia from 1941–1944,
including their perpetrators and victims, is incomplete. Historical analysis of these
atrocities, including forced conversions of Serbian Orthodox to state-sponsored
54
Oral Session A7 9:00–10:30 AM
Catholicism, has been clouded by post-war pro-Serb and anti-Catholic accounts. The focus
of this paper is a clearer retelling of the forced conversions and an analysis of the extent
of the genocide. As an appendage to the Nazi effort of Jewish extermination, the Ustaša
government sought to cleanse the Nezavisna Država Hrvatska (NDH), or the Independent
State of Croatia, of Serbs, Jews, Roma and other ‘undesirables.’ Forced conversions were
part of the state plan to create a mono-ethnic society, thus nationalistic control over the
NDH population. Subjecting the large Serb minority to the NDH government was done
through mass murder, removal into concentration camps, and forced conversions. These
atrocities pushed the primitive instruments of genocide, giving rise to brutal methods
and many sordid characters among the clergy and Ustaša soldiers. Evidence for Holocaust
perpetration in Croatia is mostly contained in German and Croatian military records and
also in victim witnesses from war crime trials and personal accounts. Many Serbs, however,
did not live to tell their tale; current research puts this figure between 330,000 and
390,000, which amounts to an approximate 20 percent reduction of the Serb population
within the NDH, not including those forcibly removed
10:00–10:15
Intersexualism and the Development of the American Wilderness: An Ecofeminist Critique
Jennifer R. Niedfeldt (Michael Popich), Westminster College
Oral Session A7, Gore 206
The intersexual community, which consists of individuals whose sex is determined to not
be exclusively male or female, suffers consequences of sexual dichotomous paradigms
in a unique manner and shares a specific inequitable relationship to patriarchy with the
American wilderness. Due to dualistic Western conceptions of both human sexual status
(male/female) and environmental usefulness (wild/developed), intersexual individuals
and wilderness areas are forced to physically conform to these constructs or risk societal
backlash. While Ecofeminism is typically used to analyze relationships of dominance
between the dominating party, the oppressed party and nature—such as male/female/
nature and Western society/racial minority/nature relationships—the comparison of
intersexual domination and environmental domination is commonly undrawn. In
utilizing an Ecofeminist ethic, however, this problematic tendency toward dichotomous
morals and paradigms sits at the heart of intersexual/wilderness oppression, and is heavily
encouraged within Christian US patriarchy. The historical social positions of intersexual
individuals, tenets within Christianity that encourage dualistic thinking, and the utility of
dichotomous paradigms within societal constructs ultimately culminate in an argument
that these dualistic constraints limit human society in its ability to healthily interface with
the biosphere and are a driving force of the divide preventing humans from considering
themselves a part of nature. By accepting intersexual individuals into society without the
precondition of sexual assignment, a broader, more holistic range of interactions between
humans and the environment could be achieved in the removal of concepts of necessary
dualism from ideals of naturalism.
55
Oral Session A7 9:00–10:30 AM
10:15–10:30
A Poet Displaced: Elizabeth Bishop and the Poetics of Unhomeliness
Corey Clawson (Anne Schifrer), Utah State University
Oral Session A7, Gore 206
In 1915, five year-old Elizabeth Bishop moved from her home in Worchester,
Massachusetts to Great Village, Nova Scotia where she spent a critical part of her
childhood. Following a lifelong series of similar displacements, Bishop later became
Poet Laureate of the United States although she defined herself as a “North American
poet” rather than an American or Canadian poet for much of her career. Bishop’s selfidentification as a “North American poet” is noteworthy because the poet only lived in the
province for approximately a year following her relocation and a number of subsequent
summer visits. This paper examines how Bishop’s transnational experience of moving to
and leaving Canada shaped her cultural identity as well as her poetry and prose. Following
Bishop’s relocation, later in life, from the United States to Brazil, Nova Scotia and the idea
of “home” became major themes in a number of her poems and short stories. This study
suggests that she entered a state of “unhomeliness”—a sense of cultural homelessness—as
a result of this series of dislocating experiences. Consequently, Bishop connected these
two places in her mind and in her writing. This study builds upon Gary Fountain’s article,
Maple Leaf Forever: Elizabeth Bishop’s Poetics of National Identity, which first examined
the poet’s state of “unhomeliness.” This paper helps scholars to better understand Bishop’s
work redirecting Fountain’s discussion on Bishop’s cultural identity to explain how her
experiences in dislocation, in combination with her familiarity with the distinct cultures
of Canada and Brazil, contributed to the development of this identity. This examination of
the poet’s life and work focuses upon the connections made between the two places in her
letters and her poetry and prose writings including “The Country Mouse,” “In the Village,”
and “Sestina.”
56
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session A8
9:00–10:30 AM
Social Science
Moderator: Mikaela Dufur, Brigham Young University
Gore 228
9:00–9:15 am
The Correlation Between Homosexual Mormon Youth and Suicide
Brian K. Nielsen (Dennis Wignall), Dixie State College
Oral Session A8, Gore 228
Homosexual youth suffer from depression, hopelessness, anxiety and other severe mental
disorders. Thirty percent of all annual youth suicides come from the gay-sex orientation.
Furthermore, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, known as Mormons,
maintains a strong position against homosexuality. The Church requests their members
to live their lives without alcohol, drugs, and to surround themselves with people that live
with same standards. Even though the Mormon Faith believes that homosexuality isn’t
part of God’s plan, numerous gay youth have strong desires to stay within the Church.
Moreover, the pressures directed by church members towards homosexuals to live virtuous
lives account for an increase in gay youth suicides. To discover the correlation between
homosexual Mormon youth and suicide, the researcher will gather statistics from recent
suicides in Washington county, interview gay youth, and conduct surveys to conclude
his findings. The researcher’s goal in studying this topic is to generate awareness to The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints concerning the struggles homosexual youth face
in wanting to remain a member in the Mormon faith.
9:15–9:30 am
Lifestyle Changes Related to Health and Well-being Following Native Hawaiian Migration from
Hawaii to Las Vegas
Elizabeth C. Newson (Jane H. Lassetter), Brigham Young University
Oral Session A8, Gore 228
Purpose Statement: Through secondary data analysis from a larger study, the purpose is
to determine lifestyle changes related to health and well-being following Native Hawaiian
migration from Hawaii to Las Vegas.
Specific Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate the impact that migrating from Hawaii
to Las Vegas has on Native Hawaiians’ lifestyle. The lifestyle factors that will be investigated
include: cost of living; weather and environment; exercise and relaxation; family
relationships; interactions with other cultures; interactions with other Native Hawaiians;
alcohol, stimulants, and smoking; pace of life; focus on material possessions; language
adjustment; diet; and sense of security.
Significance: Las Vegas is the fastest growing area in the United States in terms of Native
57
Oral Session A8 9:00–10:30 AM
Hawaiian population. In fact, between 1990 and 2000, Las Vegas, Nevada experienced a
439% increase in its Native Hawaiian population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). Migration
often impacts one’s life in many ways including one’s health and well-being. Gaining an
understanding of this impact is crucial for health care workers. Health care professionals
should take into account these migrational effects in order to provide culturally competent
care. There has been little to no research conducted on Native Hawaiian migrants, making
this a population in need of investigation so that culturally competent care can be
provided.
9:30–9:45 am
Transformation at Death: American Mortuary Preparatory Procedures Effect a Rite of Passage for
the Deceased
Ty J. Kenworthy (John Hawkins), Brigham Young University
Oral Session A8, Gore 228
Rarely seen by members of the general public, American mortuary preparatory practices are
little understood and seldom investigated by social scientists. I conducted a three-month
ethnographic investigation in a mortuary prep room recording the various activities that
funeral directors engage in to care for deceased persons. I argue that morticians direct the
deceased through a transformative process that enables the body to be prepared for its
final disposition. Utilizing the concepts discussed by Arnold Van Gennap in his book Rites
of Passage, I demonstrate how the body is transformed through three essential stages that
constitute a rite of passage: first, separation; second, transition; and third, reintroduction.
The separation occurs when the funeral directors remove the body from the home or
medical facility where the death occurred. The second step, transition, is brought about
through the preparatory practices of embalming, dressing, and the application of corrective
cosmetics. Finally, the deceased is reintroduced to society at the public viewing or funeral
service. Language plays a critical role in the process that the deceased undergoes as funeral
directors use particular terms to associate bodies in their proper context. My analysis of
these linguistic forms reveals the profound social changes which the body experiences
through the rite of passage. Once the rite of passage is complete, the deceased is socially
prepared for its final interment.
9:45–10:00 am
Mountain Man Re-enactors: An Analysis of Emergent Codes
Brenda L. Cottrell (Susan Hafen), Weber State University
Oral Session A8, Gore 228
Mountain Man re-enactors are people who participate in re-enactments of a small piece of
history of the American West, rendezvous of the fur trade era. These rendezvous took place
for only 15 years between 1825-1840, but had such an indelible effect on the formation
58
Oral Session A8 9:00–10:30 AM
of the West that some people choose to immerse themselves for a few days or weeks each
year “living” in that time. Re-enactors get caught up in the spirit of the original mountain
men that they portray. They study books and journals that give them clues of the items
used and made. This snapshot in time presented by re-enactors can be confusing to visitors
who know nothing about Mountain Man rendezvous. As a female re-enactor myself for
over 25 years, I used my memories, as well as a written survey and interviews of others in
the re-enactor community, to conduct an autoethnographic study to show how mountain
man re-enactors use a speech code to create communicative meaning. From my analysis
five particular codes emerged: a code of respect, a code of service, a code of ethics, a code
of trust, and a code of strength. In identifying these speech codes, I have shown that
employing each code is how re-enactors, which include men and women from all walks
of life, go from their diverse everyday lives to a world of the past understood only by other
re-enactors who participate in the construction of meaning.
10:00–10:15 am
International Migration and Cumulative Causation: A Theoretical and Ethnographic Account of
Migration from Rural Mexican Communities
Faith. D. Roark (Charlie V. Morgan), Brigham Young University
Oral Session A8, Gore 228
In the United States today, Mexican immigration is a compelling and critical issue, which
gives rise to a growing need to understand migration from the perspective of Mexico.
However, there is very little research or literature that discusses the issue from the context
of Mexican communities. To bridge this gap in understanding Mexican immigration,
the present research provides a detailed review of current migration theory, specifically
cumulative causation, and combines the review with information gathered from thirteen
in-depth interviews recorded in rural Mexico. By supplementing a review of migration
theory with case examples from the lives of rural Mexican migrants, this project fills the
need for a more theoretical and humanistic view of the Mexican perspective of migration.
10:15–10:30 am
Socioeconomic Status and Women’s Autonomy: Lessons from Mali
Wade C. Jacobsen (Renata Forste), Brigham Young University
Oral Session A8, Gore 228
Evidence of a link between socioeconomic status (SES) and women’s autonomy in subSaharan Africa is not well-documented. The purpose of this study is to illustrate through
methods of regression analysis how SES can be used to predict a woman’s autonomy in
Mali, one of the poorest countries in Africa. Based on the available literature, I create
a two-dimensional construct of women’s autonomy. The first dimension involves the
woman’s exposure to domestic violence and includes the frequency of various types
of physical abuse within a 12 month period. The second dimension involves decision-
59
Oral Session A8 9:00–10:30 AM
making power and includes variables describing a woman’s ability to participate
in decision-making regarding home economics, non-economics, and community
involvement. SES is measured using information on education, literacy, household
resources, and employment in the woman’s household. To examine the relationship
between SES and women’s autonomy, I utilize the 2006 Mali Demographic and Health
Survey; this is a nationally representative sample of women of child-bearing age. I limit
my analyses to women living with a partner. These data ask a variety of questions related
to household socioeconomic background. In addition, they include a detailed birth and
health history, as well as measures of decision-making in the household and domestic
violence. Using descriptive statistics, I construct profiles of various SES groups of Malian
women. Following, regression techniques are employed to examine the relationship
between SES and women’s autonomy.
60
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session A9
9:00–10:30 AM
Literature
Moderator: Georgiana Donavin, Westminster College
Gore B24
9:00–9:15am
Building an Eco-Zion: Kingsolver and Eco-aesthetic Architecture in the American West
Kenneth Marrott (Theda Wrede), Dixie State College
Oral Session A9, Gore B24
This essay engages the environmental movement and aesthetics in a dialogue concerning
the movement toward an eco-aesthetic—a movement designed to bring the environment
into popular epistemology—as it is identified, promoted, and elucidated by literature.
Through a comparison of Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal Dreams and an analysis of the
communal aspects of native architecture—and its relationship to the development of
“eco-villages”—the essay provides an explanation of and a justification for the growing
movement toward an eco-aesthetic especially as it pertains to the American West.
As to my theoretical approach, I rely on Aldo Leopold’s philosophies in a “Land
Ethic” and his explanation of these philosophies in his book A Sand County Almanac.
By applying Leopold’s theoretical approach to nature and conservation, this essay
illustrates why the historical, societal, and individual pursuits of “connection” and the
numerous “eco-issues” facing our world must no longer remain divergent. Kingsolver
illustrates such a pursuit through the protagonist of her novel, Codi, who by exposing the
environmentally damaging practices of a local mine, becomes embroiled in a search for
her own connections with others and the land. In a similar regard this essay establishes a
connection between ecological responsibility and community, while examining the role
of architectural aesthetic in developing new and healthier connections to the Western
landscape.
9:15–9:30 am
Memory, Place, and Growth—The Poetry and Prose of Three USU Writers
Jacquelyn Vienna Boyd and Amy Schafer (Christopher Cokinos), Utah State University
Oral Session A9, Gore B24
As a young writer, I find that much of my poetry is concerned with notions of selfdiscovery, connecting the person I am becoming to the person I have been. In this respect,
my work is part of the mainstream of confessional American poetry. However, rather than
merely relaying experiences and feelings, I try to make each poem an internal conversation
of progression and solution. I’m highly interested in the relationship between the written
word and visual arts and how my experience with each contributes to my understanding
of the world. In a poem I wrote inspired by Matisse’s famous portrait of his wife, I explore
61
Oral Session A9 9:00–10:30 AM
the relationship between the visual encounter and emotional experience of viewing art and
how it relates to the individual inside the experience; a process that is complicated when
trying to capture it in the literary form of poetry. Art, travel, beauty, memory, and self, are
all imposing, abstract words and concepts that I try to harness in my poetry using lyrical
language and specific imagery. To do this, I try to create a certain sense of reverence for
ordinary things, after the fashion of, for example, the poet Ted Kooser. By writing about
a pair of shoes or a kitchen table, I am able to channel my thoughts on journeys and
origins with greater focus and humility. In addition to these challenges, I also wrestle in
my writing with the notion of place or setting, a theme common in the poetry of Elizabeth
Bishop, who often devotes her work to concepts of place. I’m in a rather transient stage
of life, which is reflected in my poetry as a whole; I try to explore my former settings,
such as the home I grew up in, as well as facing the problem that I currently don’t have
my own home or foundational setting, but am in a restless, placeless, transitory stage, as
quoted in one of my poems, ”I’m on the border of someplace new.” The tension found in
these themes is what drives me as a writer, and through the release and expression of that
tension, I hope to be able to find a sense of self that coexists beautifully with words and
images and comes to terms with its placeless longings.
9:30–9:45 am
War Games: The Complex Metaphorical Relationship Between Competitive Athletics and War
Brian W. Anderson (Gae Lyn Henderson), Utah Valley University
Oral Session A9, Gore B24
Competitive athletics are as much a part of America as apple pie or baseball. This is
abundantly clear in the frequent use of sports metaphors to conceptualize other aspects
of life. In this paper, I look at the relationship between competitive athletics and war in
terms of metaphor and cognition. Using George Lakoff and Mark Johnson’s Metaphors We
Live By, I rhetorically analyze a series of contemporary newspaper articles to illustrate how
sports and war metaphors structure Americans’ language, understandings, and actions. It
is a matter of common sense to deduce that we structure and understand sporting events
in terms of war: a point in volleyball is awarded to the team that makes a “kill”; football is
based around the concept of gaining ground and conquering territory. War is the metaphor
used to understand sports; however, there has not been a war fought on American soil
in over a century. Understanding comes in relation to what we experience and how we
communicate that experience through language. Thus, I assert that in America today, the
“sports is war” metaphor has been reversed to a great extent; today, we understand the
less present concept of war through the highly prevalent concept of an athletic game. War,
however, is not a game. Americans too often refuse to see the implications of war because
of the game/sports mentality that structures their worldview.
62
Oral Session A9 9:00–10:30 AM
9:45–10:00 am
Whiteness in the Dark Knight?
Tyler J. Barnum (Jans Wager), Utah Valley University
Oral Session A9, Gore B24
Hollywood movies traditionally focus on whiteness and white characters. Superhero
movies follow that tradition for the most part and the ones that stray from that formula
are less successful, for example, Daredevil (2003) and Hancock (2008). Audiences seem
to respond better to movies in which the hero and the villain are both white. The 2008
summer blockbusters, particularly The Dark Knight, epitomize that lesson. Batman
(Christian Bale) is initially presented with non-white criminals to face including Asian
and African-American gangs, but they provide little challenge to Batman’s style of detective
work. Then The Joker (Heath Ledger) arrives providing a worthy opponent. The message is
clear: even among villains, the only ones worthy of facing one-on-one are white.
The Joker takes whiteness to an extreme by donning whiteface. One of the uses of
blackface in classical Hollywood was to make the ethnicity of the actor irrelevant. The
makeup reveals a generic black character. A white actor donning whiteface suggests that he
is a generic white character. Among the criminals in The Dark Knight there are groups that
were once understood as non-white, such as the Italians. The Joker represents a generic
white character, supporting the character’s assertion that, under the surface, everyone is just
like he is. Since whiteness is considered the norm by Hollywood, the Joker critiques society
by portraying himself as the every-person. The omission of the Joker’s origin story also
suggests that anyone could become just like him given the proper stimulus. His mission is
to provide that stimulus
10:00–10:15 am
Skinwalker
Amber L. Watson (Karin Anderson), Utah Valley University
Oral Session A9, Gore B24
My father’s stories about his time as a Mormon missionary on the Southwest Indian
reservations, now thirty years in the past, seem to be a cryptic key to a man who provides
little intimate access. Metaphorically, I approach my father as the fragile, exquisite clay pot
he received from a Native American woman as a parting gift. Carefully constructed and
painstakingly preserved, the Maricopa pot becomes the object through which I try to read
the ornamental and heavily guarded façade of my father. “The pot is dark red with black
paintings on its horn and belly, and it is slick and shiny on the outside, rough and earthen
on the bottom and inside.” This construction culminates in one terrifying and heartbreaking
event when, “Tottering too close to the edge on its beautifully uneven base, the Maricopa pot
tumbled down the altitude of two shelves, shattering on the tile at my sister’s feet. She must
have felt a breath of arid inscrutability disperse into the dense Ohio air, and shuddered.”
This composition reads in a series of vignettes, consisting of legends and ghost stories from
Mormon and Navajo traditions, woven into the experiences with Native American culture
that my father holds so dearly. The stories define him, and through them, I find shards of
access to him as a man and pieces of myself.
63
Oral Session A9 9:00–10:30 AM
10:15–10:30 am
American Christianity and “True” Religion: Views of Religion in Billy Wilder’s Ace in the Hole
Dustin E. Jackson (Stephen Armstrong), Dixie State College
Oral Session A9, Gore B24
Billy Wilder’s Ace in the Hole (1951) presents a pessimistic view of 1950s America. Through
that presentation, Americans take advantage of other religious groups and act in ways
which many would deem “unchristian,” an apparent contradiction given that most
Americans are in fact Christian. This essay also explores how Wilder depicts America as
a nation which is experiencing a moral “fall” of biblical import. To do this, I consider
Wilder’s use of religious themes and iconography, such as snakes, apocalyptic scenarios,
and depictions of penitent souls. Through the religious elements, the essay closes by
conveying how Wilder exposes the hypocrisy of America through Christian symbolism,
what “true” religion is, and how both of them relate to the biblical idea of the “Fall.”
64
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session A10
9:00–10:30 AM
Interdisciplinary: Health Sciences
Moderator: Jason V. Slack, Utah Valley University
Gore B25
9:00–9:15 am
Enhancing CT Images With Computer Vision
Valerie A. Yoder (Helen Hu), Westminster College
Oral Session A10, Gore B25
Computer vision and image processing have greatly advanced the field of medical
imaging by helping medical professionals interpret images, but there are many areas to
be investigated or refined. This study aims to explore applications of image processing
to medical images, particularly contrast enhancement, to determine which algorithms
are more effective in enhancing medical images. Several image-processing algorithms,
including histogram equalization, Canny edge detection, Gaussian blurring, and different
types of thresholding, were implemented in a Java program. This program was applied to
freely available computed topography axial images of the abdomen of different patients to
explore which algorithms or series of algorithms are useful. Most of the images contained
some problem in the liver such as a tumor or hemangioma. Applying Gaussian blurring
and histogram equalization in sequence to all or selected parts of the CT image was found
to be the most effective method for improving medical images by reducing noise and
increasing contrast. Tumors and other features such as organs were clarified by applying
the program to the CT images. The results indicate that histogram equalization improves
medical CT images; however, more research is required, including applying the program
to more images and modifying the histogram equalization algorithm. Enhancing and
improving medical images with image processing will allow medical professionals to
diagnose medical conditions earlier and with more confidence.
9:15–9:30 am
Immediate Effects of Muscular Fatigue on Postural Stability and Motoneuron Pool Excitability in
Healthy Adults
Joshua C. Irvine (Bradley T. Hayes), University of Utah
Oral Session A10, Gore B25
The dynamic effect that fatigue plays on acute neuromuscular excitability has been studied
at length without arriving at either an accepted explanation or adequate understanding.
Researchers agree that the mode by which fatigue is achieved may contribute to the body’s
response and recovery. Eccentric exercise, as a method by which fatigue is achieved, is
commonly incorporated due to its qualities of producing a high muscle strain and low
energy expenditure simultaneously. The influence of eccentric-induced fatigue, as it
65
Oral Session A10 9:00–10:30 AM
pertains to postural stability and motoneuron pool excitability, is not well understood.
The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of fatigue on motoneuron pool
excitability and postural stability in healthy adults. Motoneruon pool excitability will
be facilitated despite a simultaneous inhibition in postural stability. Twelve volunteers
(24.4 ± 6.7 yrs; female n=6; male n=6) participated in a single 10-minute bout of
eccentric exercise-induced fatigue. H-reflex measurements, used to measure motor pool
excitability, and a Limits of Stability (LOS) test, used to quantify postural stability, were
administered prior to and immediately following exercise participation. T-tests were
utilized to compare eccentric fatigue’s effect on the specific neural functions previously
delineated. Statistical significance (t11=+2.408, p=0.035) was found on one measure of
postural stability, in which there was a facilitation. Implications for such findings indicate
that eccentric-induced fatigue may more actively be prescribed as part of an appropriate
rehabilitation and physical therapy protocol without exposing clients to a risk for
increased neuromuscular compromise. Such findings are intended to serve as preparation
for extending the investigation to an elderly cohort who may benefit more directly from
the integration of eccentric exercise within therapeutic protocols.
9:30–9:45 am
Wellness Perception Amongst Utah Valley University Students
John P. Holbrook (Jason V. Slack), Utah Valley University
Oral Session A10, Gore B25
Introduction: Life’s ubiquitous demands sometimes push us to despair, and college is a
time to develop skills to combat such pressures. Wellness is the key to conquering life’s
demands; not only physical wellness—rather, wellness in its entire continuum. Purpose:
To examine Utah Valley University’s student population in hopes to better understand
their continuum wellness. Methods: Wellness was assessed indirectly using questionnaires
(Adams 1997, Baecke 1982) to determine the six wellness component scores and to
gather information about their physical activity. A total of 490 students completed the
questionnaires. Results: Data were analyzed using an ANOVA and follow-up POST HOC
test. There is no significant difference when comparing wellness scores amongst male and
female students or freshman-senior students. Although, when comparing Body Mass Index
(BMI) subclasses, Underweight (4.29, 2.85, p=.008), Normal (4.07, 2.85, p=.002) and
Overweight (3.90, 2.85, p=.020) (BMI 16.5-18.5, 18.5-25 and 25-30, respectively) they are
considerably more physically well then those who have a BMI in the Obese Class III (BMI
>40). We found that students are emotionally (4.07, 3.78, p=.012) and spiritually (4.55,
4.23 p=.004) more well when married rather than single. Those who consider themselves
extremely religious are psychologically (4.22, 3.88, p=.010), socially (4.28, 3.98, p=.004),
and spiritually (4.67, 4.09, p<.001) more well than those who describe themselves as
being somewhat religious. Conclusions: As we further understand the importance of
the continuum of wellness, such items as physical activity, marital status, and religious
intensity have been shown to drastically improve overall wellness. In addition, identifying
areas where personal improvement is needed can help manage overall wellness.
66
Oral Session A10 9:00–10:30 AM
9:45–10:00 am
Effects of Music During Endurance Exercise
Jeffrey C. Cowley (Jason V. Slack), Utah Valley University
Oral Session A10, Gore B25
Introduction: As personal listening devices like the iPod become more popular, it becomes
increasingly common to see exercisers listening to music during their workouts. Purpose:
To determine what physiological benefits can be gained from exercising to music. This
study focused on whether specific kinds of music had different effects on aerobic exercise.
Methods: Participants ran on four occasions for a period of 25 minutes. Each trial
included a different music condition: rock music, easy listening, personal selection, and
no music. The rock and easy listening music were of similar tempos. Trials were done
in random order for each participant. Heart rate, time, and rate of perceived exertion
were recorded every 800 meters. After 25 minutes total distance, final HR and RPE were
recorded. Participants were college-age men and women of varying fitness levels. Results:
13 participants (4 women: avg. BMI=21.8, and 9 men: avg. BMI= 24.4) completed all four
trials. Data was analyzed with SPSS using a repeated measures test and a Tukey followup. Participants ran further with rock music than with no music (5188, 4958, p<.001) or
with easy listening music (5188, 4840, p<.001). Notably, a lower final HR was recorded
with rock music despite the greater distance run. This was not statistically significant but
was a trend in the data. Discussion: This suggests that choosing the right music during
cardiovascular endurance workouts can help run farther and improve performance. The
trend of a decreased HR after a faster-paced run was particularly interesting. More research
is needed in this area. The potential benefits of knowing the right music and its specific
results on exercise could be widely applied in professional and private fitness settings.
10:00–10:15 am
Comparison of Muscle Activity Between Perfect PushupTM and Traditional Method
Timothy S. Claybaugh and Jeffrey C. Cowley (Michael Bohne and Jason V. Slack), Utah
Valley University
Oral Session A10, Gore B25
The pushup is a very common exercise used to strengthen several upper-body muscles.
The Perfect Pushup™ is designed to improve the effectiveness of the traditional pushup.
It is hypothesized that, when compared with the traditional pushup, the Perfect Pushup™
will facilitate an increased amount of muscle activity. Methods: Ten male volunteers were
solicited from a self-proclaimed healthy university population. The participants’ muscle
activity was measured by using an eight-lead Delsys Bagnoli surface electromyography
(EMG) at 1000 Hz for 30 seconds while doing ten traditional pushups and ten Perfect
Pushups™ (which were counter-balanced). We measured the pectoralis major (PM),
anterior deltoid (AD), biceps brachii (BB), triceps brachii (TB), rectus abdominis (RA),
external oblique (EO) and latissimus dorsi (LD) muscles. From this data, we used a root
mean square to obtain averages. Data were analyzed by using a Paired T-test (α=0.05) to
compare the muscle activity during the exercises. Results: The results showed significant
67
Oral Session A10 9:00–10:30 AM
increases for the BB (p=0.017) and pm (p=0.018) muscles for the Perfect Pushup™
compared to the traditional pushup. Four of the other muscles also showed a trend toward
increases while using the Perfect Pushup™, although not statistically significant, of 11%
(triceps brachii), 5%(anterior deltoid), 34%(rectus abdominis), 13%(exterior oblique).
Conclusion: Analysis of the EMG results showed evidence that the Perfect Pushup™
works the same seven muscles that were tested in the traditional pushup while requiring
increased activity in several of those muscles, and, an increase in muscle activity leads to a
better workout and an increase in strength.
10:15–10:30 am
Lights, Cam, Action: A Foundation for Physicians of Finesse
LeAnne Wilson-Tolley (Jeffrey W. Bulger), Utah Valley University
Oral Session A10, Gore B25
The Hippocratic Oath is dead. And with it, the paternalistic pendulum of vows and oaths
whose interpretation bears little resemblance to the creed from which they originate. In
defiance of the mystical hierarchy of traditional healthcare, autonomy has been moving
the pendulum to the opposite extreme of honoring individual rights over expert opinion.
The one-size-fits-all approach to healthcare and wellbeing is no longer sufficient. The
increasing introduction of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) into traditional
western healthcare settings allows for greater implementation of ethics of care. This shift
in focus may, in part, be directly associated with the changing dynamics of healthcare
providers themselves. As more women move into the role of primary physicians and more
men are fulfilling the role of nurses, a partnership between physician, nurse and patient
develops. The future of the healthcare industry is intrinsically connected to the ability of
providers to navigate the nuances between benefits and burdens – to balance the rights of
the individual patient with the wisdom of the profession. With healthcare costs expanding
and wellbeing diminishing at ever increasing rates, the focus on ethics of care is taking
center stage. The concept of proactive and preventative care is rapidly emerging as the face
of healthcare moving forward. As the ethics of care changes the dialog from medicine to
wellbeing, the emphasis of healthcare will move from cure to prevention and CAM will
play a prominent role in this shift. This study focuses on research supporting the use of
CAM as an essential tool to balance patient autonomy with expert opinion, to promote
ethics of care, and to increase preventative healthcare.
68
Oral Abstracts B
Oral Session B1
10:40–11:55 AM
Key: Time, Title of Project, Student Presenter, (Mentor), School, Session, Room
Fine Arts
Moderator: Christie Fox, Utah State University
Converse 202
10:40–10:55
A Glorious Experiment
Rebekah Mason (Angela Banchero-Kelleher), Utah Valley University
Oral Session B1, Converse 202
Repertory Dance Theatre was established and founded in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1966.
This fully-professional modern dance company was made possible because of a major
grant from the Rockefeller Foundation and an enthusiastic community. The community
was supportive of a professional company that would preserve historical dance pieces and
be an artistic asset. At a time of cultural changes, social revolutions, political movements
and revolutionary thinking, the 1960s was about alteration and change. Transformation
and modernism are part of what defines the sixties and the mood within the times. An
analysis of the development of Repertory Dance Theatre reveals some connections to these
changing times. The connection can be exposed by exploring political, economic and
cultural aspects of the sixties and by demonstrating that RDT is a perfect reflection of this
turbulent and optimistic era. The purpose of this research is to analyze the development of
Repertory Dance Theatre in Salt Lake City, Utah, and how RDT’s development came about
as a result of the cultural and political changes in America during the 1960’s. This will
demonstrate how dance reflects the culture.
10:55–11:10
A New Light
Alexandra R. Gil (Angiela Banchero-Kelleher), Utah Valley University
Oral Session B1, Converse 202
Alwin Nikolais is easily cited as one of the fathers of Modern Dance Theater. His
experiments with lighting, props, sound and choreography enabled the dance viewer to
be taken on an otherwise unexplored journey. One of his most influential pieces, “Tent”,
showcased his ability to strip away emotional necessitation and explore additional ways
to speak to the audience. His ideas allowed for the viewer to experience dance as a return
to pure movement and entertainment. The purpose of this research is to analyze the
Alwin Nikolais creation “Tent” as a pivotal turning point in Dance Theater. It will show
how Nikolais’ use of technology transformed the performance experience by focusing
69
Oral Session B1 10:40–11:55 AM
on aesthetics through multimedia, rather than the over-emotionalism of modern dance
movement. A fusion of information gathered from published journals and books,
combined with video recordings of the piece, “Tent” will answer the following questions:
1. How did “Tent” reveal Nikolais’ theory of decentralization and how did this ideal
change modern dance?
2. How did Nikolais’ use of lighting and a prop in “Tent” transform the dancers onstage,
from expressive entities to bodies in space?
3. How did Nikolais’ media production combined with choreography in “Tent” provide a
new outlook on creating dance?
4. What does this tell us about the state of dance before and after tent?
11:10–11:25
Black American Dance in Times of Segregation
Brittney R. Gardner (Angela Banchero-Kelleher), Utah Valley University
Oral Session B1, Converse 202
America, in the 1930s and 40s, was a harsh world full of racial segregation and
discrimination. Despite having served in World War II, African Americans were still
struggling to gain equal rights and respect from White Americans, who didn’t accept
them as their equals. Dance reflected these issues in American Culture, such as segregated
Ballet Companies. Many black artists resisted the idea that blacks were an inferior race in
America. Katherine Dunham was one of those artists who helped the black population
to reawaken their artistic roots and take pride in themselves, through the art of dance.
She was able to present black dancers in a way acceptable to White Americans, so as to
be seen as persons. This is reflected in her work “Barrelhouse Blues.” “Barrelhouse Blues”
simultaneously resists and reflects the White American stereotype of a black dancer. This
juxtaposition is a metaphor for race relations in America in the ‘30s and ‘40s. As the
relations between the separate races started to change in America, due to social/political
pressure, dance began to reflect this change as well.
The purpose of this research is to demonstrate the ability of dance to reflect the culture.
Katherine Dunham’s work “Barrelhouse Blues” is a physical reflection of many of the
issues confronting African Americans in the 30’s and 40’s. Through her work as a scholar
and artist she was able to help push segregation out of dance. She also helped African
Americans to realize their potential and to take pride in their heritage. Through the vehicle
of dance, a clearer picture of American race relations in the ‘30s and ‘40s will emerge.
11:25–11:40
Self Expression: The Gay Man’s Struggle for a Place in the Heterosexual Exemplar of Ballet
Matthew Smith (Angela Banchero-Kelleher), Utah Valley University
Oral Session B1, Converse 202
Anyone who has witnessed a classical ballet is aware of the typical representation of the
male dancer. He is to be consumed with love and adoration for the female. He is to be
70
Oral Session B1 10:40–11:55 AM
masculine, strong, silent, and carnal: to conform to society’s view of what a man should
be. There are alternatives to this constriction of male sexual expression and behavior, and
often the dancer himself is non-conforming this prominent paradigm. Forced to conform,
and often silenced, many gay male dancers and choreographers longed for equal artistic
expression of self, their community, and their unique views on sexuality and masculinity.
This yearning for expression has brought about ground-breaking pieces of choreography
that express and celebrate the homosexual male.
My purpose is to show how Ballet has reflected important changes in Western Culture’s
acceptance and valuation of the Homosexual Male. Specifically, how the Homosexual
Male has found self expression amidst the Western exemplar of the heterosexual Ballet.
Comparing, contrasting, and evaluating written sources of “Monument for a Dead Boy” by
Rudi van Dantzig, and Matthew Bourne’s “spitfire,” will yield a greater understanding of
the following:
1. What was “Monument for a Dead Boy” saying about the Homosexual Male’s world,
and his masculinity?
2.How does “Spitfire” represent a change from its predecessors?
3. What was “spitfire” saying about the Homosexual Male’s world and his masculinity?
4. What changes came about that may have been the impetus to allow for “Spitfire’s”
creation?
5. What does this change and the relation between “Spitfire” and “Monument for a
Dead Boy” say about the Homosexual Male’s place in Western Culture?
11:40–11:55
Revealing Unveiled (An Incorporation of Dance and Film)
Annika Black and Lyndy Tankersley (Amanda Sowerby), Weber State University
Oral Session B1, Converse 202
Dance for the Camera uses the medium of film to bring dance to the center of focus. For
dancers, language is movement. Their personal preference in the arts may be influenced by
their background. Their expressions of life and culture are revealed through their bodies.
Is it possible for a dancer to reach past their culture and incorporate other movement into
their own? The Dance for the Camera film AUnveiled@ explores this idea. It virtually takes
movement from one spectrum of dance and integrates it with another. Mixing ballet and
hip hop, modern, stomp and jazz together, eludes you to believe that this idea is possible.
As the world of dance leans forward into multimedia incorporation, choreographers start
to visualize movement for film. In research, aspects were found to effect the movement;
locations, camera angles, lighting design and context to plot. After the movement is set
and the film is shot, the choreography is reorganized in post production. One presenter
will discuss the relationship between the concept and the choreography, explaining how
movement can visually capture cultural differences. The other presenter will discuss
the view point of the camera and its relationship to the environment and movement.
Presentation will also include resources used in the making of AUnveiled@. Following
discussions, AUnveiled@ will be viewed in (DVD) format.
71
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session B2
10:40–11:55 AM
Philosophy/Ethics
Moderator: Michael Scott, Westminster College
Converse B1
10:40–10:55
Do We Really Have Control? Two Problems Facing Libertarian Free Will
Jorgen A. Hansen (Christine Weigel and Wayne Hanewicz), Utah Valley University
Oral Session B2, Converse B1
Newly emerging neuroscientific evidence has important ramifications for the metaphysics
of free will. In light of this new evidence, I argue that libertarian free will faces two
constraining problems. The first is a scientific objection, which suggests that the libertarian
conception of free will cannot withstand the plethora of evidence that opposes it.
Neuroscientists have now observed that the outcome of a decision can be encoded in the
brain up to seven seconds previous to entering conscious awareness. This research poses
a serious threat to libertarian free will by empirically demonstrating that decisions are
constructed before they enter the conscious mind. The second problem is a philosophical
objection, which concerns the type of conscious mind that is necessary for libertarian free
will to remain a coherent position. The libertarian conception of free will presupposes
that our conscious mind freely creates decisions. This conception can be understood as
an “Architectural” process, because of the assumption that it creates decisions and ideas,
which we are consequently responsible for. I argue that the libertarian assumption of how
decisions are made is a misconception, and that we should not view the conscious mind
as an “Architectural” process of creation, but instead, as an “Archaeological” process of
discovery. I will conclude by showing that libertarian free will can no longer coherently
stand against the new scientific evidence which opposes it and that viewing conscious
decision-making as an “Archaeological” process is more sufficient than viewing it as an
“Architectural” process. Moreover, this Archaeological view opens new and exciting paths
for further philosophical work and it presents a more refined notion of “will,” “decision,”
“free will,” and “agent.”
10:55–11:10
Marijuana and Morality
Chad Howze (Jeffrey W. Bulger), Utah Valley University
Oral Session B2, Converse B1
The government spends 600 dollars every second to aid the war on drugs. Twenty billion
dollars a year is used to combat the forces of what are known as illegal substances. The
American people spend ten times that amount per year to purchase drugs that have been
termed legal. When taking into account the staggering amounts of money spent on drugs,
72
Oral Session B2 10:40–11:55 AM
it becomes imperative for the powers that be to provide clear and reasonable information
on the divide of legal and illegal drugs. The Drug Enforcement Administration lists three
major criteria for making a drug illegal. First, the drug shows a high potential for abuse;
second, the drug has no currently accepted medical use in the United States; and third,
there is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical
supervision.
Many have argued that marijuana does not fit any of the aforementioned criteria and
therefore is an unjustly controlled substance. The question then becomes weather there
should be superseding principles or exceptions to the drug criteria for the benefit of
society. This paper will show some of the competing principles involved in this debate
as they relate to the concept of principlism. That is to say, the principles of autonomy,
beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice will be discussed and compared to determine
which principles must be overridden for the benefit of society.
11:10–11:25
I Speak Therefore I Perform: Jacques Derrida’s Revised View of Performatives in Language
Anthony M. Christensen (Christa D. Albrecht-Crane), Utah Valley University
Oral Session B2, Converse B1
This paper discusses two central concepts—“constatives” and “performatives”—developed
in the 1950s by J.L. Austin, a British philosopher, by showing how French philosopher
Jacques Derrida reworks these concepts to better account for the way language functions to
shape our sense of reality. Derrida‘s argument is important, as I show in this paper, because
his examination of language offers important insights about its use that inform what
and how we think. Austin explained that a “constative” phrase describes a state of being,
while a “performative” phrase performs the act it announces. Austin also realized that
some constative statements could be seen as also functioning performatively; for example,
when a person declares, “I am visiting you tomorrow” (which has a constative structure),
that utterance also performs by “promising” a visit. Austin believed that this paradoxical
constative/performative combination is an exception, and that in serious situations, we
use language as either constative or performative. Derrida intervenes and argues that any
utterance could be considered to function performatively in any circumstance. For Derrida,
language does not simply relay information as if that information preexisted language;
rather, Derrida shows that each language act creates its meaning in the act of speaking or
writing. As I explain in my paper, Derrida’s new argument suggests that if language creates
concepts, then every concept must have a history and a time of inception. In the final part
of my paper, I illustrate this argument on language by reviewing familiar concepts, among
them perspectives of time and the unsatisfactory “translation” of ideas between different
languages.
73
Oral Session B2 10:40–11:55 AM
11:25–11:40
Omnipresence and Divine Embodiment: 1650–1850
Martin E. Pulido (David L. Paulsen), Brigham Young University
Oral Session B2, Converse B1
Christianity’s innovation of and accommodations with Neo-Platonism and Aristotelian
onto-theology generally ended religious discourses considering God as a body-person.
However, toleration following the reformation fostered a resurgence of thinkers favoring
God’s embodiment (corporealists). They felt the Biblical text best presented God as a bodyperson who created the world from pre-existing material. Similarly, as Aristotelian science
failed to explain observed phenomena, new metaphysical worldviews emerged making it
possible and sometimes crucial for God to bodily exist. Embodiment provided a plausible
way through which God could interact with creation and be contacted. Furthermore,
it allowed human concepts of “good,” “loyal,” “intelligent,” and “powerful,” that are
formed in relation to embodied beings, could retain some meaning when applied to deity.
Despite these considerations, immaterialists complained an embodied God could not be
omnipresent. My research examines the responses made by corporealists to this question
from 1650-1850. I found a large group adopted a material omnipresence, whether in a
pantheistic [Spinoza], panentheistic [Fechner], or pansyntheistic [Pratt] manner. However,
making the universe part of God’s body either makes Him to some extent evil or unable to
control His body. Others took substance dualist or pluralist stances, claiming God’s spiritual
essence penetrates matter and space, and thus present but distinct from them. Yet claiming
God’s presence comes through unknown mediums involves accepting a scientifically
unverified (though perhaps justified in personal religious experience) position. A few
claimed God’s absolute foreknowledge was his omnipresence, but failed to explain how
such knowledge could originate. I conclude that while corporealists denied that revelation
or logical necessity demanded absolute omnipresence, they constructed a way in which God
was accessible and responsive to creation, but this tended to raise new questions as much as
resolve old ones.
11:40–11:55
Scientific Superstition: The Rationale of Anglo-Saxon Harvest Rituals
K. Jane Hughes (Glen Cooper), Brigham Young University
Oral Session B2, Converse B1
In response to the strongly divided and limited scholarship on the subject, I have endeavored
to approach the study of Anglo-Saxon medicine from an entirely new angle. Rather than
arguing for or against its efficacy or attempting to analyze relative cultural influences, I intend
to examine trends within the texts in an attempt to understand early medieval medicine as it
was practiced and understood by the Anglo-Saxons themselves.
I plan to accomplish this through an in-depth study of a smaller, representative category
within early medieval medicine—the instructions for ritual harvesting of medicinal herbs.
I intend to prove that these apparently superstitious or inexplicable rituals were in fact
rationally conceived, however uninformed the practitioners. In so doing, I hope to provide
an accurate and intimate portrait of Anglo-Saxon medicine—and from this, of the AngloSaxon culture as a whole.
74
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session B3
10:40–11:55 AM
Literature
Moderator: Georgiana Donavin, Westminster College
Converse B18
10:40–10:55
Images of Faith and Doubt: Tennyson, Longfellow, and the Poetry of Spiritualism.
Trenton Olsen (Paul Crumbley), Utah State University
Oral Session B3, Converse B18
People in the mid nineteenth century in America and Europe began for the first time to
widely view religious and scientific discourses as incongruous when new theories and
discoveries challenged their long held Christian beliefs. In what has since been called
the Victorian crisis of faith, individuals desperately sought for confirmation of their
fundamental religious beliefs against the assailment of reason and science. Perhaps no
doctrine was as central in this ideological struggle as that of the afterlife. In an effort to
prove that human existence did not end with death, people on both continents began
attempting to communicate with the spirits of the dead in a set of beliefs and practices
known as spiritualism. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Alfred, Lord Tennyson, great
American and British poets of the era, were affected by this cultural phenomenon,
particularly as both experienced devastating losses of loved ones during this time. My
research examines this influence in their poetry, specifically in Longfellow’s “The Cross
of Snow” and the three Christmas sections of Tennyson’s In Memoriam (1850). Each
poet uses strikingly similar imagery to simultaneously represent both religious faith
and scientific doubt concerning the afterlife. Using a combination of close reading and
biographical context, my research examines the significance of these images and how they
relate to both poets’ representations of their own personal loss in light of the transatlantic
practice of spiritualism.
10:55–11:10
Poetry’s Painful Tradition
Daniel O. Young (Laura Hamblin), Utah Valley University
Oral Session B3, Converse B18
The strong influence of Plato’s ideas about poetry is still visible in American schools today
where the official cannon is the main focus. This school of Western thought can give
the impression that the included poets are the only ones worth studying. And often the
quizzes, tests, and reports required emphasize this point: that in poetry there is a binary
system as Plato proposed of the poetry that should be included and that which should
not. This paper will discuss how poets have responded to this tradition. In addition, it
will analyze how this is echoed in the study of literature by undergraduate students. Many
75
Oral Session B3 10:40–11:55 AM
of these students have grown up in this tradition and struggle to realize how much their
thought process has been shaped by it. And challenging the tradition as many poets have
is a difficult process for these students. Add to that the idea that there are important poets
writing outside of this tradition completely, and the task can be painful indeed.
11:10–11:25
Poetry: The Ontological Negotiations and Movements of Bodies in Modernist Free Verse
Kaila M. Brown (Keith Johnson), Brigham Young University
Oral Session B3, Converse B18
Recent ontological philosophers such as Manuel Delanda and Paul Virilio have addressed
the complicated issues of modern bodies in technologically accelerated space. Their
discourse however does not reach into the realm of tonality, rhythm, and motion “always
already” present in the compressed ontological and physiological figures in Modernist
free verse. Vers libre, or “the new verse” as it was called in the early teens of the twentieth
century, underwent dynamical changes as a result of furious little magazine publications.
This print culture included one of the most influential little magazines that inscribed the
human body with modern movement for ontological purposes. Others: a Magazine of
the New Verse and its team players, Kreymborg, Eliot, Williams, Pound, and Loy, created a
“free verse” to address the issues of spatiality and velocity of human bodies. Their poetry
reexamines not only the limitations of language and form, but also the implications of
motion and speed on human aesthetics and sense of Self. Unwittingly, it is this moment
of Modernism that is strikingly postmodern as it contextualizes philosophy’s present
dilemma. In tandem, the frequently overlooked poetry of the Grantwood colony which
published Others is arguably the most foundational in establishing how the conflation
of free verse, physio-spatiality, and human ontology bespeaks Modernism’s continued
influence in today’s academic conversations.
11:25–11:40
Looking Through Lacan’s Mirror at the Uncanny Resemblance of Frankenstein to His Monster
Daniel O. Young (Karin Anderson), Utah Valley University
Oral Session B3, Converse B18
The Monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is not horrifying simply because it is ugly, but
more so because of how human he really is. In him, we can see the extremes of human
capacity for good, love, and sympathy as well as hate, destruction, and vengeance. In
short, as Freud says of the Uncanny, he is horrifying because he is a return, in very literal
human parts, of what should be hidden, but has returned. We are prone to see ourselves
in one part of the monster or another. The physical construction of the Creature mirrors
the subjective and symptomatic structure of the human ego. In this way, he comes close to
resembling everything we see in ourselves; any one of us could be that monster. This paper
will discuss how the Creature is a mirroring of Victor Frankenstein, and, by extension,
is a mirror of humanity. The essay shows how this representation of the Mirror Stage, as
discussed by Lacan, influences the development of Victor’s “I,” and by extension, our own,
and explores the terror and torture of both the image and the reflection.
76
Oral Session B3 10:40–11:55 AM
11:40–11:55
Hasanaginica and Vuk Karadzic: Herder Applied
Peter Q. Wright (Paul E. Kerry), Brigham Young University
Oral Session B3, Converse B18
The Yugoslavian poem “Hasanaginica” emerged in the late 18th century as one of the
most famous examples of folk poetry in Europe, une cause celebre. This poem from the
Adriatic coast was translated or published by well-known Romantic figures such as Herder,
Goethe, Sir Walter Scott, and Alexander Pushkin. Herder’s statement that a nation’s
“tradition, history, religion . . . and whole heart and soul” are embodied in that nation’s
language places supreme importance on discovering and cultivating the language unique
to a specific nation. The “Hasanaginica” represents how a people may play an active role
in shaping their national identity through language culture. Although ostensibly a piece of
Muslim Bosnian literature, the great Serbian linguist, Vuk Karadzic used the Hasanaginica
to promote Serbian folk culture and national identity. This research shows how Vuk
Karadzic drew upon Herder’s language theory to broaden and bolster Serbian national
identity.
That the great poets expressed the mind and experience of their societies” is an idea that
Isaiah Berlin posits was generally accepted in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Vuk
Karadzic’s life work was centered on giving this folk culture a voice and a unified identity.
He worked to construct a unified language and lingual history—a Serbian national
identity. Karadzic created the alphabet now in use among Serbian, Bosnian, and Croatian
speakers and spent his life collecting poems and music from Serbian folk culture.
77
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session B4
10:40–11:55 AM
Education
Moderator: Scott Hunsaker, Utah State University
Gore 106
10:40–10:55
An Evaluation of Student Teaching
Scott R. Bartholomew (Geoffrey A. Wright), Brigham Young University
Oral Session B4 Gore 106
The student-teaching or internship experience has been deemed an essential step and
experience for future teachers (Oslund, 2005; Securro, 1994; Barrett, 1986). However,
several studies and research initiatives have reported many pre-service teachers did not
enjoy, nor believed their student-teaching experience to be of significant help in their
teacher preparation (Ervay, 1982; Barrett, 1986). In fact, several teachers have reported it
detracted them from going into teaching (Ervay, 1982). We conducted a study at Brigham
Young University in regards to this situation and identified barriers which are hindering its
effectiveness.
The study involved an evaluation of the student teaching experience at Brigham Young
University with twenty-eight pre-service teachers from STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Math) related content areas. The study also involved observing,
interviewing and surveying the students during and after their student teaching experience.
The interviews recorded student impressions and feedback regarding their student teaching
experience, while the survey was used to follow-up on general trends resulting from the
interview sessions and general student teaching experiences, and help triangulate and
clarify findings. Our findings clearly identify roles and expectations of those involved in
the student teaching experience in an effort to improve the outcomes of student teaching.
Suggestions are also provided for all those involved in the student teaching experience.
10:55–11:10
Critical Issues in Middle and Secondary School Mathematics Placement: A Case Study
Morgan Summers (Brynja Kohler), Utah State University
Oral Session B4, Gore 106
This qualitative research project explores the issues facing middle and secondary
mathematics placement in a local school district. The ultimate goal of this research is to
be able to provide this district with methods of resolving these issues. In this phase of
the project, the objective was to identify the issues and to review the literature pertaining
to critical issues identified. A comprehensive understanding of the current methods of
mathematics placement was gained, as well as an understanding of all mathematics
courses offered in this district. Data was collected through interviews with district
78
Oral Session B4 10:40–11:55 AM
personnel, interviews with middle and secondary teachers, and classroom observations.
The data showed similar critical issues at both the high school and middle school level,
while at the alternative high school, a very different set of critical issues are apparent. Two
of these issues include pressure from parents who want their children to be in an advanced
mathematics class regardless of children’s readiness, and assessment for purposes of
accurate placement.
11:10–11:25
Correlates of Teacher Practices Influencing Student Outcomes
Aubree Nielsen (Scott Hunsaker), Utah State University
Oral Session B4, Gore 106
In a professional development project, six teaching practices were posited as necessary
for improving affective and cognitive outcomes for identified advanced readers. These
practices were identification, organization for instruction, content, instructional strategies,
continuous improvement assessment, and ambassadorship. Fifty teachers received training
in these practices and were evaluated on their implementation. Implementation ratings
were correlated with measure of reading attitude, comprehension, and achievement.
Several correlations were discovered that have implications for understanding teaching
style and the influence of teacher practice on student outcomes.
11:25–11:40
Effects of Morning Meetings on Student Social Achievement
Julie K. Johnson (Nancy Peterson), Utah Valley University
Oral Session B4, Gore 106
Recently, a movement to institute a Responsive Classroom Approach in schools across
the country has emerged. The Responsive Classroom Approach is made up of several
interactive teaching strategies, one of which is Morning Meetings. These meetings have
been shown in several studies to have a positive effect on academic achievement; however,
the meetings were also created to positively affect social achievement. Social achievement
closely relates to emotion intelligence, which correlates with high academic achievement.
In surveying and observing first and second grade students and teachers, I compared
students’ sense of social achievement in classes that participated in Morning Meetings and
those that didn’t to find if Morning Meetings do, in fact, have any effect on student social
achievement. I observed the effects of student sense of social achievement on behavior
problems, teacher perception of student involvement, and both the students’ and teacher’s
sense of classroom community
79
Oral Session B4 10:40–11:55 AM
11:40–11:55
Bridging Borders Through Books
Joelle Fierro and Rachel L. Probst (Genan Anderson), Utah Valley University
Oral Session B4, Gore 106
Prejudice or negative feelings toward primary grade peers of different cultures may arise
from limited interaction between students outside of a structured arena. We addressed
the question: Would mentoring students to share and read their own stories in the
language of another peer, change their attitudes toward their classmates? A sample of
45 students: 20 first- and 25-third graders, ages 6-9 years-old, 23 boys and 22 girls, 10
Hispanic and 35 Caucasian were monitored in cooperative learning groups, recess, and
at lunch, to determine the level of interaction between students, particularly between
students of different ethnicities. A compatibility survey was administered to students to
rate their interactions and friendships with peers. Students were pre-assessed on their
ability to write a story and identify beginning, middle, and end. Students dictated personal
stories using a tape recording device in their first language. Assistance was available for
story transcriptions. All stories were printed in the child’s the child’s first language and
the second language of the population complete with the students’ own illustrations.
Students were given their own copy of their published story and a compilation of all of
the stories was published as a classroom book made available for check out to take home
and be shared with their families. Time sampling to assess the level of interaction between
students was repeated as was the compatibility survey. Results showed following treatment,
the amount of time students chose to interact with peers across cultures increased as did
the frequency of peers choosing friends across cultures.
80
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session B5
10:40–11:55 AM
Psychology
Moderator: Jen Simonds, Westminster College
Gore 107
10:40–10:55
Accuracy and Predictor Variables of Listeners’ Identification of Male Speaker Body Size, Age, and
Ethnicity
J. Parker Heiner (Wendy Baker), Brigham Young University
Oral Session B5, Gore 107
Listeners are quite adept at determining a speaker’s age (Smith, Walters, & Patterson,
2007), body size (Gonzales, 2004), and ethnicity (Thomas & Reaser, 2004), sometimes
even with only a single word (Purnell, Idsardi, & Baugh, 1999). No known previous study,
however, has examined how these three factors interact and influence voice recognition.
Thus, this study expands previous research by examining how well and what factors
influence listeners’ identification of a speaker’s height, weight, age, and ethnicity. Such
findings could help in understanding how these features influence our perception of
a speaker, automatic speech recognition (Privat, Vigouroux, & Truillet, 2004) and may
also aid in understanding how witnesses identify a suspected criminal’s voice (Broeders,
Cambier-Langeveld, & Vermeulen, 2002).
In order to examine these factors, male speakers from the continental United States who
varied in age (20s to 60s), height (below to above average), weight (above and below
average) and ethnicity (African, Chicano, Asian, and European American) were asked to
produce English single syllable minimal word pairs. These words differed in their vowel
(high back, low front, high front) and initial and final consonant. These vowels and
consonants were chosen because they have been found in previous research to influence
ethnic, height, and age identification. Participants were asked to judge the speakers’ age,
height, weight, and ethnicity.
We first examined how accurately listeners were able to identify a speaker’s age, height,
weight, and ethnicity. Next, to understand the relationship between the speakers’
productions and the listeners’ ratings, we performed analyses on the words, including
formant frequency and duration measurements. We then compared these analyses to the
listeners’ judgments. Implications of these findings for forensic linguistics are explored.
81
Oral Session B5 10:40–11:55 AM
10:55–11:10
Youth Identity: Youth Navigating Through Safe Spaces to Participate in Activism
Carmela Wilden (Caitlin Cahill, Ed Buendia), University of Utah
Oral Session B5, Gore 107
Dominant historical & contemporary constructions of youth have placed emphasis upon
delinquent ideology. Youth have been marginalized and subjected to a place of crime and
misconduct within society and literature. There are very limiting understandings of youth’s
participation in society by development theorist. It is clear that youth have not been
given the space to create a self that is beyond the stereotypes that exists (Douse, 2006).
There are some youth researchers who focus on work around positive images of youth
while discussing the deficit thinking that exists about youth. Warren Mitchell discusses
the importance of creating positive and supportive environments for youth who may be
subjected to the many delinquent ideologies that exist.
My presentation will report upon research conducted with high school students involved
with the Mestizo Arts & Activism project, a participatory youth action research project
based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Using multiple qualitative research methods including
participant observation and interviews, I investigated how individually and collectively
create safe spaces for identification and how this supports their activism. For example, I
examine how the student’s racial identifications inform the choices they make to focus
upon issues of immigration, stereotyping, and racism. My analysis considers questions
of racial and/or cultural identification and if that informs youth’s activism. Also, how are
youth working cross culturally together to create change in a society that generally does not
support cross-cultural work? Preliminary findings suggest that youth identities may inform
their activism, as well as youth individually may be working towards goals related to their
identity. But, they still create activist projects cross culturally. My research will contribute a
critical race perspective to educational practices focused upon civic engagement and youth
participation.
11:10–11:25
Multicultural Education as a Means to Promote Counselor Effectiveness with Ethnic Minority
Clients
Kimberly C. Peet (Tim Smith), Brigham Young University
Oral Session B5, Gore 107
This project addresses the question of whether or not training in cross-cultural issues
(often termed “”multicultural counseling competency””) is effective for students in applied
psychology graduate programs. Over the past two decades, the American Psychological
Association and other professional organizations have begun to address the need for
training for that enhances multicultural competence among mental health professionals.
However, recent controversial manuscripts question the effectiveness of multicultural
training in graduate programs. This project will report the results of an updated metaanalysis of studies examining the outcomes of multicultural training for mental health
professionals and trainees. Conducting a meta-analysis of statistics reported from studies
82
Oral Session B5 10:40–11:55 AM
on multicultural education effects on psychology students will help establish whether
or not requiring this education is beneficial - and how it can be improved to better meet
students’ needs. Past findings indicate that becoming learned in cross-cultural psychology
reduces racial biases and contributes to overall competence in students. Because this area
of research is currently receiving focused attention, with dozens of manuscripts appearing
since the time a previous meta-analysis was conducted, it is important to ascertain how
current findings replicate or qualify the findings from past studies on the topic.
This study presents the updated results of a meta-analysis originally conducted in 2004.
Current studies were located via extensive literature searches. Retrieved studies were then
coded in pairs of two raters and verified across coding teams to improve the reliability
of data extraction. Random effects weighted models were utilized in analyzing the
omnibus effect size and the subsequent variables found to moderate the results. Overall,
the findings confirm the conclusions from previous reviews - multicultural education
is effective in enhancing graduate students’ abilities to work with clients from ethnic
minority groups. This study should lend support for current policies and practices that
promote multicultural education within applied psychology programs.
11:25–11:40
Client Utilization of Mental Health Services: A Comparison Across Ethnicity
Tabitha A. Harper (Tim Smith), Brigham Young University
Oral Session B5, Gore 107
A landmark report by the US Surgeon General (2003) found that people of color (ethnic
minority groups) are less likely to use mental health services than Caucasians. This study
sought to analyze the overall trends of mental health services utilization by people of color
in comparison to Caucasians. Using a university database system, the relevant quantitative
data for all available articles reporting research in this avenue were coded. Following
systematic review procedures, over 110 manuscripts met inclusion criteria, with the number
of mental health patients within each study ranging from 14 to 9.6 million (national
database studies). Some of the variables of interest included the type of clinical sample,
comparison group utilized, treatment type (individual vs. group therapy), presence of
culturally adapted treatment, acculturation level of the sample, utilization percentages, and
odds ratios of the reported results. The overall odds of mental health service utilization
for people of color was OR=0.72, indicating that people of color underutilized mental
health services at a rate 28% lower than Caucasians. This meta-analysis confirms racial
discrepancy trends in utilization. These results implicate a need to consider ways to
enhance utilization of mental health services by people of color.
83
Oral Session B5 10:40–11:55 AM
11:40–11:55
The Relationship Between Spirituality and Mental Health Among Ethnic Minority Populations in
North America: A Meta-Analysis
Joshua W. Kirton (Tim Smith), Brigham Young University
Oral Session B5, Gore 107
Previous sociological research has documented that a substantial majority of the
population in North America endorses religion/spirituality beliefs, with the highest levels
of endorsement occurring among ethnic minority groups. Previous psychological research
has documented that religious/spiritual beliefs are positively associated with wellbeing and
mental health, but until recently that research has focused almost exclusively upon White
(European American) populations. Given the higher rates of religiousness among ethnic
minority groups and the repeated findings that ethnic minority members are at elevated
risk for mental illness, research has recently investigated whether the same positive
association noted among White populations holds for ethnic minority populations. This
research project sought to definitively answer that question. Using quantitative methods
for synthesizing empirical findings, we conducted a meta-analysis of over 50 research
studies. Studies were obtained following extensive literature searches, and retrieved studies
were coded twice and verified for accuracy. Statistical analyses indicated that spirituality
and most types of religiosity are positively related with mental health of ethnic minority
populations. However, some types of religiosity, such as extrinsic religiosity, are negatively
correlated with mental health. Given the demonstrated relevance of religious/spiritual
beliefs to mental health, implications for the integration of spiritual/religious topics
in therapy are provided along with clarifications of the differential associations across
different aspects of spirituality/religiosity.
84
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session B6
10:40–11:55 AM
Chemistry/Physics
Moderator: William Deutschman, Westminster College
Room: Gore 205
10:40–10:55
Analysis of Inhomogeneous Broadening in Perturbed Angular Correlation Spectroscopy at Utah
Valley University
Carlos Moreno (W. E. Evenson, P. Matheson, and M. O. Zacate), Utah Valley University
Oral Session B6, Gore 205
Real crystals always include defects which affect the properties of that material in
proportion to their concentration. Perturbed Angular Correlation (PAC) spectra are
sensitive to electric field gradients (EFGs) due to distributions of defects or vacancies
in the crystal lattice. PAC can then provide a method to investigate crystal defects and
even elucidate the physics of the motion of defects with in a crystal. A distribution of
static defects produce EFGs that damp a PAC spectrum, G2(t), in time, and broaden the
frequency peaks of its Fourier transform. This is referred to as Inhomogeneous Broadening
(IHB). Mobile defects also affect PAC spectra and the frequency with which the defects
hop through the lattice can be inferred from changes in the spectrum. We describe in
this talk the basics of PAC spectroscopy and explain our methods of characterizing IHB.
In two subsequent talks, we first introduce our methods of examining the concentration
dependence of IHB in PAC spectra in simple cubic and face-centered cubic lattices. We
then examine the determination of maximum PAC damping with defect hop rates in other
N-state symmetric crystal structures.
1. Work supported in part by NSF grant DMR 06-06006 (Metals Program).
2. Now at University of Utah, Department of Physics.
3. North Kentucky University.
10:55–11:10
Nuclear Relaxation of N-state Symmetric Models
Tyler Park (W. E. Evenson, P. Matheson, and M. O. Zacate), Utah Valley University
Oral Session B6, Gore 205
Nuclear relaxation of perturbed angular correlation (PAC) spectra offers insights to
diffusion because it arises from motion of defects or of a nuclear probe in a crystal. The
N-state symmetric model is a model of fluctuation among N symmetric electric field
gradients (EFGs) experienced by a radioactive nuclear probe. By simulating the N-state
symmetric model for various rates of hopping among the N EFGs, the resulting spectra can
be fitted with a damped perturbation function, G2(t), or an exponential decay function to
find the decay constant (lambda). By plotting lambda against the hopping rate, we find the
maximum relaxation point. Fitting the raw spectrum, a spectrum weighted by error bars,
85
Oral Session B6 10:40–11:55 AM
and a spectrum with simulated errors gives a good indication of the relaxation that would
be observed in a PAC experiment. The maximum relaxation point can then be used as an
experimental measure of the defect or probe hopping rate, and hence the diffusion rate
at that temperature. We report the results of our simulations and their implications, with
potential applications to diffusion in intermetallic systems.
11:10–11:25
Independent Component Analysis and Defect Concentration Dependence of Inhomogeneous
Broadening in Perturbed Angular Correlation Spectroscopy
Jeffrey A. Hodges (W. E. Evenson, P. Matheson, and M. O. Zacate), Utah Valley University
Oral Session B6, Gore 205
Inhomogeneous broadening (IHB) in Perturbed Angular Correlation (PAC) spectra is
characterized by damping of the PAC signal in time, and broadening of frequency peaks
in the Fourier spectrum. IHB arises from electric field gradients (EFG) acting on a probe
nucleus, that arise from a broad distribution of defects and vacancies within a crystal
lattice. We simulate by direct calculation the PAC perturbation function, G2(t) that
arises from a random distribution of defects throughout a simple cubic or face-centered
cubic crystal structure. These spectra show pronounced IHB. The distribution of the EFG
components in these spectra, Vxx and Vzz, are analyzed using Independent Component
Analysis (ICA) to develop a probability distribution function (PDF) for the G2(t) function
in terms of independent EFG components. This PDF can then be used to predict the
amount of IHB that occurs in G2(t) from static defects. The PDF is characterized by a
number of parameters describing its shape, position and width. In our studies we have
used this process to examine the changes in the probability distribution due to varying
defect concentrations, from 0.1 to 15 percent, and found the concentration-dependent
parameters for the PDFs. This allows us to calculate broadened PAC spectra for any selected
defect concentration. It also allows us to fit defect concentration from an experimental PAC
spectrum. This work will be applied initially to broadened PAC data from β-Mn, Al-doped
β-Mn, and Sr2RuO4.
11:25–11:40
Can a Planetary System Survive a Host Star Supernova Explosion?
Justin J. Giovannoni (Alexander M. Panin), Utah Valley University
Oral Session B6, Gore 205
The recent search for extrasolar planets has brought a surprising discovery—almost any star
seems to have a planetary system around it. We know that many massive stars end their
lives in a violent supernova explosion, during which extremely large amount of energy
(~3x1046 J) is released by the star in a very short time. Can a planetary system survive
such a violent event? Can its biosphere survive? In the current presentation we analyze,
based on known physics, the effect of a supernova explosion on a planet orbiting such a
star in its habitable zone. Our calculations show that even a small Earth-like planet is not
86
Oral Session B6 10:40–11:55 AM
destroyed mechanically, nor thermally, in such an explosion. Nor is a planet kicked out of
its orbit due to the momentum of exploding star shell or its radiation pressure. In some
cases, even a portion of planetary biosphere can survive. The sequence of events during
supernova explosion and how they influence such a planet is discussed in the presentation.
11:40–11:55
Neutron Star Cooling
Justin J. Giovannoni (Alexander M. Panin), Utah Valley University
Oral Session B6, Gore 205
Neutron stars form during a deep gravitational collapse of massive star’s core in which a
large amount of gravitational potential energy (~1046 J) is converted into thermal. Just
after its formation, a neutron star is extremely hot (T~1011-1012 K) and undergoes a rapid
radiative cooling. This is a complex multi-step process which involves neutrino radiation,
gamma-ray burst, neuron thermoconductivity, x-ray diffusion, black body radiation
and some other processes. We estimate analytically the time and energy scales of these
processes in order to find out how rapidly a neutron star loses its thermal energy and what
its surface temperature history might look like.
87
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session B7
10:40–11:55 AM
Political Science
Moderator: Gae Lyn Anderson, Utah Valley University
Room: Gore 206
10:40–10:55
Unlikely Visitors German Prisoners of War at Farragut Naval Training Station 1945-1946
Derreck Calkins (Kathryn Mackay), Weber State University
Oral Session B7, Gore 206
Construction of Farragut Naval Training Station began in 1941 as a direct response to the
Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor. For nine months, 22,000 men worked on the station’s
construction. They worked 10-hour shifts during 13 of every 14 days. During this time,
776 buildings were constructed. These buildings included mess halls, libraries, movie
theatres, living quarters, and chapels. Farragut was fully operational from September
1942 until June 1946. During this time, more than 300,000 Naval recruits were trained at
Farragut before being sent to war. For a time when the camp was running at full capacity, it
temporarily became the largest city in Idaho. Sometime in late 1944 as the war in Europe
was winding down, between 750 and 900 German prisoners of war were sent to Farragut
were they remained through the duration of the war. Many of these German prisoners were
as young as 17 or 18. Most of them had been captured in battles that took place in North
Africa early in the war. After being captured they spent time in prisoner of war camps
in Egypt before being shipped to the United States. Eventually these young prisoners of
war arrived in north Idaho. While at Farragut, these Prisoners mowed lawns, trimmed
shrubbery, washed laundry, and worked in officers clubs. They also organized soccer teams,
held church services, and published their own camp newsletter called Die Lupe, meaning
“The Looking Glass.”
10:55–11:10
Who Maimed The Republican Party?
Elizabeth Jarrard-O’Dea (Gae Lyn Peterson), Utah Valley University
Oral Session B7, Gore 206
In the last decade or so, extreme conservative conversation has oftentimes rebelled
like a wayward child, tainting the Republican Party, decrying its family name, and
souring its credibility as a formidable political party. This wayward black sheep has
maimed the opinion of some moderate democrats, republicans and independents.
The Republican Party suffered great losses in November 2008 elections. The negative
reactions to conservative conversation will continue to harm the Republican Party unless
the conversation can be more constructive and produce arguments that are always
intellectual and use more powerful rhetoric. In Donald Lazere’s book on civic literacy, he
88
Oral Session B7 10:40–11:55 AM
sets the standard for negative and positive uses of rhetoric. Firstly, for the purposes of this
paper, I will determine uses of anti-intellectualism in history, for example, the rhetoric
and propaganda of Nazi Germany. Secondly, I will analyze the rhetoric used in current
conservatism that undermines its ethos by contributing to this destructive force. Thirdly,
I will analyze examples of effective use of rhetoric in history such as Thomas Jefferson’s
Declaration of Independence. Finally, constructive use of rhetoric within the conservative
political arena is abroad, but is sometimes stifled by media pundits and extremist views.
Conservatives contribute powerful persuasive rhetoric that can unite and enliven humanity
such as Senator McCain’s 2008 concession speech. If those conservatives who participate
in destructive rhetoric want to ride the republican ticket into public office, they must oust
anti-intellectualism. If a more positive conversation flourishes, the Republican Party may
once again become the formidable force it once was, and this “prodigal son” of politics
may be welcomed with a “fatted calf.”
11:10–11:25
A Lethal Gift: Development Aid and Terrorism
Swati Sharma (M. Findley), Brigham Young University
Oral Session B7, Gore 206
Islamic Terrorism presents one of the biggest national security concerns in many nations.
Aid donor countries spend exorbitant amount of money in trying to fight terrorism
through foreign aid. This paper addresses the effect of multilateral and bilateral aid by
western donors on Islamic terrorism. I hypothesize that as the level of development aid
from Western donors to an Islamic nation increases the level of terrorism increases. I
believe that development aid infuriates the existing problem of terrorism. This hypothesis
will be tested using data on terrorist activities between 1970 and 2004. The findings are
important because they will not only represent the first statistical test of the relationship
between aid and terrorism, but will also direct development aid away from countries
where that aid will counter-productively lead to an increase in terrorism rather than
reducing it.
11:25–11:40
Why Is Singapore Not Zimbabwe? Explaining Variations in the Economic Performance of
Autocracies
Zachary S. Davis (Daniel Nielson), Brigham Young University
Oral Session B7, Gore 206
Why are some autocrats better than others? More specifically, why do certain autocratic
regimes choose pro-growth economic policies, while others seem to deliberately
implement policies that obstruct development? The simple answer is that their survival
depends on it. Like all political leaders, autocrats desire to maximize their time in
office. For many, if not most, autocrats, this is accomplished by strategically repressing
challengers or paying off supporters, usually supported by exploitative economic policies
89
Oral Session B7 10:40–11:55 AM
that benefit narrow elites. In some autocratic regimes, however, there are structural
incentives and constraints that encourage good economic policies that benefit the larger
public. In this second group, autocrats pursue liberal economic policies because failure
to do so would increase the likelihood of their ouster by the ruling coalition, typically
through a coup. Understanding this second kind of autocracy and how it affects economic
outcomes is the primary objective of this paper.
11:40–11:55
“Rogues” Uncovered: A Scale of States of Concern to the International Community
Carl H. Brinton (Valerie Hudson), Brigham Young University
Oral Session B7, Gore 206
One of the perennial problems vexing the contemporary international system is the
presence of states that regularly fail to comply with international norms of conduct.
Sometimes termed “rogue” states, but perhaps better termed “states of concern to the
international community” (SOCIC), these not only include states which break treaties
and laws in the international arena, but also those which are deemed morally illegitimate
due to their egregious violation of the rights of their own citizens. Non-compliance with
the “settled norms” of the international community by such states, therefore, arguably
undermines the trust and cooperation necessary for stability in the entire international
system. As such, understanding norm non-compliance is of primary import to the
international system. Researchers of the international system have responded, focusing
much of the theoretical and empirical work of the last two decades on the construction,
codification, and enforcement mechanisms of state behavioral norms. Focusing on SOCIC,
this study deals with the operationalization of international norm non-compliance and
the characteristics of non-compliant states.
While rogue states are frequently discussed in US foreign policy circles and while
international studies researchers have created indices on peace, human rights, gender
equality, and use of violent force, no comprehensive, academic scale on SOCIC, so-called
“rogue” states, exists. This study creates a SOCIC scale based on the definition that a
“rogue” state is a state that regularly fails to comply with international economic, political,
and use-of-force norms. This study employs data from 1997-2006 to place 141 states on a
SOCIC scale from 0 to 4, least to most rogue.
90
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session B8
10:40–11:55 AM
Biology
Moderator: Jeffrey G. Edwards, Brigham Young University
Room: Gore 228
10:40–10:55
Chemotherapeutic Apoptosis: Who Assailed the Membrane, the Inducer or the Induced?
Kyle Thompson (John D. Bell), Brigham Young University
Oral Session B8, Gore 228
The ability of certain chemotherapeutic agents to partition into the cell membrane raises
the possibility that some of their effects on cells may involve direct disruption of normal
bilayer function. Moreover, previous studies on hormone-stimulated apoptosis indicate
a variety of indirect membrane changes that accompany the death process including
changes in membrane fluidity and order, increases in interlipid spacing, and susceptibility
to hydrolysis by secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2). To compare the relative roles
of potential direct and indirect effects of chemotherapeutic agents on cell membrane
properties, we treated S49 lymphoma cells with methotrexate, which is a non-membrane
perturbing drug. Membrane properties were assessed over time after addition of the
drug by fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy using merocyanine 540, laurdan,
diphenylhexatriene, and patman. Initially, the membrane remained resistant to hydrolysis
for several hours. Thereafter, a sharp increase in sPLA2 activity was observed. These results
suggested that changes that render the membrane vulnerable to hydrolytic attack are
controlled by biochemical processes associated with apoptosis rather than reflecting direct
effects of a chemotherapeutic drug on the cell membrane.
10:55–11:10
Assessment of Merocyanine Subpopulations in DPPC Vesicles Using Anisotropy and Lifetime
Measurements
Steven K. Neely and Brett C. Johnson (John D. Bell), Brigham Young University
Oral Session B8, Gore 228
The purpose of this study was to further investigate the properties of the fluorescent
probe merocyanine 540, which has been used frequently for over two decades to assess
membrane phase properties under various conditions. Differences in emission spectrum
shape at temperatures above and below the thermotropic phase transition of model
membranes have been hypothesized to represent changes in the position and orientation
of the probe in the bilayer. This hypothesis suggests specific predictions concerning probe
mobility in the membrane as a function of temperature and emission wavelength. We
tested the hypothesis using measurements of steady state anisotropy and fluorescence
91
Oral Session B8 10:40–11:55 AM
lifetimes in dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles. Below the lipid phase transition
temperature, steady state anisotropy decreased by 0.2 units across the emission spectrum
from short to long wavelength. In contrast, anisotropy was more stable as a function of
emission wavelength when measured above the transition temperature. Fluorescence
lifetimes showed minimal wavelength dependence at either temperature. Anisotropy
experiments were repeated at a variety of probe-to-lipid ratios to assess the role of probe
aggregation on the observations. The data supported previous findings from measurements
of the quantum yield of merocyanine 540, in the gel phase, two separate populations
of the probe (monomers and dimers) fluoresce. The monomers, which emit at short
wavelengths, are oriented perpendicular to the bilayer surface, and are limited in mobility
by neighboring phospholipids. The dimers, which emit at long wavelengths, are oriented
parallel to the bilayer surface and are localized in a membrane region where motion is less
restricted, perhaps in the region between the membrane leaflets. At higher temperatures,
only monomers fluoresce but exhibit higher mobility due to the lower order of the
membrane phase.
11:10–11:25
Phylogeny and Evolution of Male Genitalia Within the Praying Mantis Genus Tenodera
(Mantodea: Mantidae)
Dana Jensen, Gavin Svenson, and Hojun Song (Michael F. Whiting), Brigham Young
University
Oral Session B8, Gore 228
The mantis genus Tenodera consists of several species distributed across Africa, Asia, and
Australasia, including recent human introductions to North America. Species of the genus
are similar morphologically and utilize the same environments across their distribution.
However, the relationships among these species and the morphological characters used to
diagnose them have never been formally tested. By utilizing molecular data from five loci
and coding morphological characters from male genitalia, we reconstructed phylogenies
using multiple optimality criteria. Of the included species, all were found to be separate
and supported as distinct species. T. sinensis and T. aridifolia were supported as two
distinct species recovered in separate clades resolving confusion as to the placement of T.
sinensis. The relationship between T. superstitiosa and T. bokiana has also been resolved.
Further, our analysis identified a new species of Tenodera collected in India, which falls
as sister to T. aridifolia and T. sinensis and exhibits distinct male genitalic morphology.
In light of the phylogeny, we investigated the evolution of the male genitalia and found
several transitions in structural forms of the genitalia. We also considered the connection
of these transitions to sexual cannibalism and whether or not this behavior may have led
to rapid evolution of the male genitalia in Tenodera species.
92
Oral Session B8 10:40–11:55 AM
11:25–11:40
Unconfounding the Confounded: Separating Treatment and Batch Effects in Confounded
Microarray Experiments
Timothy M. Bahr (Evan W. Johnson), Brigham Young University
Oral Session B8, Gore 228
A microarray is a powerful tool in molecular biology used to measure the level of gene
expression in thousands of genes simultaneously. Any set of microarrays prepared at
the same time and under the same conditions constitute a batch. Unfortunately, entire
microarray experiments are often not prepared in the same batch. This may be due to bad
experiment design, practical considerations such as time, cost, and equipment limitations,
or a desire to compare experiments from two different studies conducted by different
research groups.
We propose the use of a mixed effects mixture model to allow biologists to analyze
microarray experiments where the treatment and batch effects are completely confounded.
An example of such an experiment would be when all the arrays from the treatment
are prepared in one batch and all the control samples are prepared in another batch.
Traditional statistical thought would imply that nothing could be done in this situation
because one cannot tell if differences in the two batches are due to treatment effects or due
to batch effects. However, we detail a method that, under minor assumptions, allows us to
unconfound the batch and treatment effects and therefore make inference on treatment
differences in the data.
Adjusting for these effects will provide the researcher with more accurate assessments of
the information available in their data. Comparisons between data sets that are thought to
be statistically unsound will now be possible. Our algorithm will aid researchers in making
more observations and discoveries without having to produce more data or perform more
experiments at very high costs.
11:40–11:55
Spectroscopy Measurements of Apoptotic Cell Membrane Changes Associated with the
Chemotherapeutic Agent Daunorubicin
Amanda M. Berbert, Olin D. Beck, Nate Eshenroder, and Mark Pruitt (John D. Bell),
Brigham Young University,
Oral Session B8, Gore 228
The chemotherapeutic agent daunorubicin (DNR) must diffuse through the cell
membrane to exert its cytotoxic effect. This raises the question about whether or not the
observed physical changes in the membrane are due to direct drug-membrane interactions
or are due to indirect changes that accompany DNR-induced apoptosis. We used
fluorescent spectroscopy to investigate the effects of DNR on specific properties of S49
lymphoma cell membranes and the timing of these changes in relation to apoptosis. The
membrane changes measured included order, fluidity, lipid spacing, and susceptibility to
secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2). Cells treated with DNR were resistant to sPLA2 for
the first few hours of treatment and then showed a rapid increase in both susceptibility to
hydrolytic attack and lipid spacing. These results support our hypothesis that membrane
alterations occurring with DNR treatment are controlled indirectly by biochemical
processes associated with programmed cell death.
93
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session B9
10:40–11:55 AM
Interdisciplinary: Gender Studies
Moderator: Fatima Mujcinovic, Westminster College
Gore B24
10:40–10:55
The Illness-prone Sex: Catherine Earnshaw’s Feminine Defeat
Meredith E. Bennie (Gae Lyn Henderson), Utah Valley University
Oral Session B9, Gore B24
In this paper, I address the topic of feminine illness, specifically anorexia, in Emily
Brontë’s novel Wuthering Heights. Societal pressures stand at the heart of female illness,
particularly anorexia nervosa. While the novel’s heroine is analyzed specifically, I also
address anorexia as a disorder that affects the female sex in general. Theorists such as
Phillis Chesler suggest that all female mental illness is an expression of powerlessness
in society and their attempts to overcome such a state. Ruth H. Striegal-Moore addresses
anorexia in the Victorian area specifically suggesting that societal forces worked as a
formula for the resulting eating disorder. Additionally Sarah Richmond views anorexia
as a psychological reaction to the adolescent state of femininity and calls this response a
rejection of adulthood. The heroine, Catherine Earnshaw, at times demonstrates symptoms
of anorexia as a result of her culture’s stifling limitations placed on the female sex. Some
critics, such as Susan Rubinow Gorsky, suggest that Brontë herself suffered from anorexia.
While Brontë’s own eating disorder may never be proven, I argue that Catherine’s ailment
and struggles resulted from the constraints of her feminine role. Catherine is trapped
within the feminine confines of her life, thus leading to her helpless and manipulative
tactics. While she strives to use illness and starvation to gain order over her own life, her
world and her illness overpower her, ending in death and destruction. As a woman, she is
unable to love and live as she pleases and her only means of striking back will ultimately
kill her as well. Catherine has no other means to exercise control or revenge than through
her eating habits.
10:55–11:10
Wasting Away in Wuthering Heights: Finding a Connection Between Abuse and Eating Disorders
Katlin E. Vest (Gae Lyn Henderson), Utah Valley University
Oral Session B9, Gore B24
A study highlighted by Frances Berg declares that “anorexia nervosa affects about 1
in 500 adolescents” (27). With the growing number of people diagnosed with eating
disorders and the severe medical consequences involved, it is important to understand
these disorders and discover any links between possible causes and development. A recent
article by Alice Park explores reasons for developing eating disorders and focuses on
94
Oral Session B9 10:40–11:55 AM
patients’ obsession with organizing their life around food and also their desire for control,
exercised by starving the body of its natural source of energy (76). Data from Shapiro
Control Inventory studies the possibility for this obsession to stem from feeling out of
control from abuse or being controlled by someone else (538). In her novel Wuthering
Heights, Emily Brontë’s characters Cathy and Heathcliff demonstrate a hypothesized
connection between abuse and eating disorders. Sandra Gilbert, in a literary essay, explores
different facets of Cathy’s character and discovers evidence of her innate desire for control
(386). The connection between eating disorders and misconstrued concepts of control is
significant because many people who suffer from eating disorders struggle with wanting
control in their lives and consequently turn to radically controlling their food intake.
Some may argue that abuse merely perpetuates rather than causes eating disorders like
Janet Polivy, but in her article published in the Annual Review of Psychology, she affirms
the “profound influence on self-esteem and anxiety” abuse has, both of which are major
contributors to developing an eating disorder (196). Although Emily Brontë’s characters in
Wuthering Heights are fictional, they portray a strong connection between abuse and eating
disorders and depict their detrimental, and even fatal, results.
11:10–11:25
Reworking Romanticism: Romantic Feminism in Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s The Solitude of the Self
Megan A. Olsen (Nicholas A. Mason), Brigham Young University
Oral Session B9, Gore B24
Cady Stanton is widely considered the architect of nineteenth-century arguments for
women’s suffrage, though her close friend, Susan B. Anthony, is more commonly known
because she was the suffrage movement’s primary organizer. Cady Stanton’s life and work
have received much scholarly attention, and her retirement speech, “The Solitude of the
Self,” delivered in 1892, is often mentioned in larger scholarly discussions of the suffrage
movement and of Cady Stanton’s writings. Many, including Susan B. Anthony, considered
it “the speech of Mrs. Stanton’s life”; however, there is little scholarship devoted solely to
the historical significance of the speech’s rhetorical approaches.
In “The Solitude of the Self,” Cady Stanton argued to expand women’s participation in
public life on the grounds that such participation was each woman’s inherent individual
right. Her approach appears anachronistic in the 1890s, a decade when suffrage
leaders turned to more palatable “domestic reform” arguments that emphasized innate
feminine characteristics. I argue that Cady Stanton drew upon the earlier movements
of Transcendentalism and Romanticism in crafting the speech’s unique brand of
individualism and that her choice to draw upon these movements is significant because
they are the very movements that also produced ideas that she consistently argued would
limit the suffrage movement: innate feminine purity and the cult of true womanhood.
Both ideas—innate feminine purity and the cult of true womanhood—are foundational to
her fellow suffragists’ “domestic reform” arguments, suggesting that Cady Stanton was as
concerned about the direction of the suffrage movement as she was about the protests of
those who opposed it.
95
Oral Session B9 10:40–11:55 AM
11:25–11:40
Jane Austen’s Bad Boys: The Rake’s Remorse as Romantic Realism
Diane M. Ferguson (Nicholas A. Mason), Brigham Young University
Oral Session B9, Gore B24
One of the most popular figures of English Restoration comedy is the rake, who seduces and
abandons women and who must repent or suffer the consequences. The rake appears in many
plays of the period, including William Congreve’s The Way of the World, as a foil to the hero and
a warning to audience members. But after the surge of dramatic satire subsided, the rake faded
into the background, though he (and, occasionally, she) appears in satires and Gothic novels,
including as a Christian scoundrel in Samuel Richardson’s Sir Charles Grandison and as a more
comical, sympathetic figure in Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones.
Both of these works, as well as the Restoration comedies, influenced Jane Austen significantly.
Resurrecting and redefining the rake, she portrays her villains as scandalous womanizers who
also have a conscience. Instead of following the Restoration tradition of allowing the rake to be
forgiven in the last act, Austen forces them to face the consequences of their actions: although
Willoughby regrets marrying an heiress for her money, he is still stuck in a loveless marriage for
life. Responding to such articles as Carole Berger’s “The Rake and the Reader in Jane Austen’s
Novels” and David S. Berkeley’s “The Penitent Rake in Restoration Comedy,” I analyze the ways
in which Austen’s portrayal of her rakes’ remorse and ultimate condemnation underscores
her use of Romantic realism—that is, her parodies of contemporary Romantic subjects and
sentiments in a realistic setting. As she satirizes her villains, she pioneers a style of description,
characterization, and free indirect discourse that renders her rakes likable, believable, threedimensional characters, foreshadowing the rise of literary realism in the mid- to late nineteenth
century.
11:40–11:55
When Romance Is Not-So-Romantic: Gender Construction, Domination, and Violence in
Young-adult Literature
Whitney Strong (Chris LeCluyse), Westminster College
Oral Session B9, Gore B24
Audiences are bombarded with gender stereotypes in all mediums of entertainment. From
James Bond films to pink-handled toolsets, our society delineates the appropriateness of
actions or activities depending on gender. These guidelines often serve as useful tools for
newcomers or younger generations to learn what is expected of them in our society, but often
the signals given are restrictive, stifling, and could help reinforce unequal ways of thinking
about power and relationships.
The romance novel has been around for centuries and can be traced back to classic literature
such as Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Though the genre has expanded past the idea that a
woman must marry in order to survive in society, the bare bones of such thinking still remain.
Example, in a currently wildly-popular series about a girl who falls in love with a vampire,
gender is constructed in a very traditional manner. In the Twilight series, Bella, the heroine,
cooks for her single father and falls in love with a very attractive and mysterious boy in one of
her classes. Throughout the series, disturbing attitudes of gender and power unfold. Bella must
hide her relationship from her father, only one of the people she becomes alienated from as
she becomes more obsessed with her love for Edward. Ultimately, Bella becomes so enthralled
with her love for the boy that she nonchalantly registers that—after they have made love for the
first time—her body is covered in bruises. By applying feminist and other recent developments
in literary theory, other romance novels may be found to be quite un-romantic.
96
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session B10
10:40–11:55 AM
Interdisciplinary: Health Sciences
Moderator: Artis Grady, Southern Utah University
Gore B25
10:40–10:55
Giving Birth: Australian Women’s Voices
Melody W. Kuhre and Shelley T. Holt (Lynn C. Callister), Brigham Young University
Oral Session B10, Gore B25
Purpose: Giving birth is a life changing experience for women throughout the world.
While its significance is universal, women’s perceptions of childbearing are unique
depending on their socio-cultural context. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study
was to describe the unique perceptions of childbearing women in Australia.
Method: Following institutional review board approval, a convenience sample of twenty
Australian women who had given birth in the last twelve months participated in audiotaped interviews. Study participants were asked questions which invited them to reflect
on the emotions they felt and the insights they gained during their pregnancy, labor,
and postpartum experiences. Interviews were transcribed and data analysis proceeded
concurrently with data collection. Preliminary themes were identified by members of the
research team, and then commonalities in analysis explicated as appropriate for qualitative
inquiry.
Findings: Themes identified included feeling more concerned about the well being of their
child than themselves, experiencing the pivotal moment of birth, defining the spiritual
dimension of giving birth, and coming to know their child. One of the most prominent
themes identified was the desire to share power with healthcare providers. Many mothers
expressed their opinions that nursing interventions such as acting as an advocate, allowing
them space and privacy, and expressing confidence were helpful and allowed them to feel a
sense of shared control with health care providers.
Conclusions and Implications for Clinical Practice: These findings provide important
insights into how nurses can provide culturally competent and woman centered care, not
only to Australian women, but to childbearing women around the world.
Funding: Brigham Young University Office of Research and Creative Activities
97
Oral Session B10 10:40–11:55 AM
10:55–11:10
Comparing Childless Single Males’ and Female’s Attitudes and Knowledge of Breastfeeding
Lauren Challis and Mathew Johnson (Artis Grady and Matthew Schmidt), Southern Utah
University
Oral Session B10, Gore B25
The American Dietetic Association position paper on breastfeeding (BF) states that
exclusive BF provides optimal nutrition and health protection for the first six months
of life. Research is clear about the benefits of BF, however BF rates in the United States
declined in the 20th century, reaching an all time low of 24 percent in 1971. Since that
time rates of initiation of BF rose to over 70 percent in 2001 yet only 35 percent of
infants were still receiving any breast milk at 6 months of age. To increase the rate of BF,
various obstacles must be overcome. Lack of support in the home, false perceptions of the
partner’s attitude, and lack of knowledge of the benefits contribute to the cessation of BF.
Whereas previous studies examined attitudes of fathers and pre-natal and post-partum
couples, the purpose of this study was to determine childless, single men’s and women’s
feelings and beliefs about BF. Two hundred and fifty men (mean age 20.9 ± 2.5) and 276
women (mean age 19.6 ± 2.1) were surveyed. Participant attitudes and beliefs of BF were
questioned. Results indicated statistically significant differences (p<.05) in attitudes of
men and women regarding the importance of BF, the function of the breast, if BF damages
breasts, and benefits BF provides for the mother and infant. This study suggests that single
men and women differ in their opinions and understanding of BF. Although differences
were noted, men were generally supportive and respected women who BF. Educating
young adults regarding BF might improve BF social acceptability and increase BF rates.
11:10–11:25
Place Attachment: College Students’ Views of Their Special Places Through Pictures
Jennifer L. Anderson, Ethan Scofield, and Nicholas Brown (Betsy R. Lindley), Utah Valley
University
Oral Session B10, Gore B25
This project studied place attachment by local college students. Place attachment comes
from experiences in a given setting, usually over time. These settings have multiple
meanings which come from individual experiences and mode of encounter. Three factors
are most commonly recognized as the components that compose human bonding with
place, characteristics of the physical environment, human use and experience of the
environment, and finally social, psychological, and cultural interpretations of and created
meanings of the people place interactions (Relph, 1976). This multidimensional look
gives a much richer view of why people are attached to the places around them and why
those places have been transformed from space to place.
This study utilized the methodology of Visitor Employed Photography (VEP). This
methodology allowed the researchers to explore how students view the landscape around
them and how the combination of nature and culture give value to that landscape. Visitor
Employed Photography as utilized in this study consisted of providing 24 students with
98
Oral Session B10 10:40–11:55 AM
disposable cameras. The students were instructed to take 12 photographs of things that
most attach them to their community, mean the most to them or that they would miss the
most if they moved away. The cameras were collected from the participants and the film
developed. In the final interviews the participants were asked to explain their pictures in
the framework of the research questions. The interviews were recorded and transcribed.
The interview transcripts were analyzed looking for recurring words themes and patterns.
This research found that place attachment is a complex compilation of physical spaces and
social factors.
11:25–11:40
College Environmental Factors Affecting Body Dissatisfaction Among Freshman Females: A
Qualitative Study
Melissa N. Howell, Ashley A. Suker, and Katrina N. Fulkerson (Rosemary Thackery,
Oral Session B10, Gore B25
Introduction: Over half of women are not satisfied with their body image. This
dissatisfaction may lead to the development of eating disorders. Previous research has
shown that exposure to media, internalization of the thin ideal, and peers influence body
image satisfaction. This exploratory study sought to identify factors present in the college
environment that influence body image among freshman women.
Methods: Hour-long, in-depth interviews were conducted with 30 freshman females.
Participants were selected through a stratified random sample of women residing oncampus. Participants reported a range of scores on the Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents
and Adults. Each interview was audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were
coded thematically and entered into NVivo for analysis.
Results: Body image satisfaction or dissatisfaction is primarily established prior to entrance
into college due to parental influence, societal expectations derived from the media and
peers, and spiritual background. Participants indicated that two major social factors in
the college environment influence how females feel about their body: increased social
comparison and increased competition for dates and attention from males. Females
with positive body image appeared to be less personally influenced by these factors but
recognized the impact among their friends and roommates.
Conclusions: Women who come to college with feelings of body image dissatisfaction
may experience an increase in dissatisfaction due to environmental pressures of social
comparison and competition. Interventions to increase body satisfaction among female
freshmen should include a component that addresses the social comparison process.
99
Oral Session B10 10:40–11:55 AM
11:40–11:55
Magic Gel Dosimetry
Rachel Mifflin (C. Brent Bargeron), Utah Valley University
Oral Session B10, Gore B25
Proton therapy has proven a very successful tool in treating certain tumors, but a three
dimensional view of this fact has not yet been clearly demonstrated. In this experiment
we have used MAGIC Gel (Methacrylic and Ascorbic Acid in Gelatin Initiated by Copper)
to represent brain tissue. We then arranged three proton beams to intersect in the
gel at a specific location and deposited most of the beam energy in that region. This
procedure mimics a treatment process that could occur in an effort to destroy a tumor at
a known location. This is a common method that is in general use and demonstrates the
distribution of the three dimensional dose with about 1 mm resolution in the gel and
allows one to “view” and calculate the actual dose distribution.
100
Oral Abstracts C
Oral Session C1
1:00–2:00 PM
Key: Time, Title of Project, Student Presenter, (Mentor), School, Session, Room
Fine Arts
Moderator: Angela Banchero-Kelleher, Utah Valley University
Converse 202
1:00–1:15 pm
Assessing the Role of Dance in Presenting China’s National Identity
Meredith Ashton (Angela Banchero-Kelleher), Utah Valley University
Oral Session C1, Converse 202
Dancing is a way of knowing the world. “ -Ann Cooper Albright.
An analysis of dancing within a specific culture yields insight and knowledge into the
evolving politics, economics, religion, science, intellectual life, and art of that culture;
dance is a reflection of the culture. Historically, China has used media mega events such
as the Asian games of 1990 and the 50th Anniversary of the People’s Republic of China
in 1999 to stage cultural performances in which national ideology is expressed through
dance. Since 2001 dance has played an important role in the buildup of the Olympic
Games that culminated in the performance of the Opening Ceremony. The Opening
Ceremony combined Olympic Spirit with Chinese tradition under the overarching theme
of harmony. Under this umbrella are multiple harmonious relationships projected within
the performance of dance and discussed in the following research. The purpose of this
research is to investigate the role dance plays in the nature of Chinese national image
management on the international stage. Through an analysis of live video footage of the
Opening Ceremony supplemented with printed source material and live interviews, this
project will assess the degree to which the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics
conform to or deviate from China’s previous uses of dance as a tool of state.
1:15–1:30 pm
Ballet and Social Changes: The Eve of the French Revolution
Catherine J. Smith (Angela Banchero-Kelleher), Utah Valley University
Oral Session C1, Converse 202
Social changes leading up to and during the French Revolution changed ballet in relation
to the culture. Though ballet was originally created and used a tool of state, it became
a theatrical form of its own as the 18th century progressed. The years leading up to the
Revolution were trying economically, politically, and socially. The Age of Enlightenment
promoted a governing philosophy that gave the bourgeoisie and lower classes
motivation to rise above their oppression with hope to create a government that fulfilled
responsibilities to the people. Social changes greatly affected the art of ballet, therefore the
changes in French ballet reflect the social changes that were prevalent at that time.
101
Oral Session C1 1:00–2:00 PM
Jean Dauberval’s pre-revolutionary ballet “La Fille Mal Gardee” and Gardel’s “Le Judgment
de Paris” reflect social and political changes that were occurring before and during the French
Revolution. A study of these ballets will reveal a fuller picture of the political and social
milieu of the time and demonstrate how dance reflects the culture.
1:30–1:45 pm
Reclaiming Power: Color, Gender, and Identity in Vogue
Veronica B. Argyle (Angela Banchero-Kelleher), Utah Valley University
Oral Session C1, Converse 202
The bold assertion of second wave feminist scholars that “one is not born, but rather
becomes, a woman” had implications that exceeded the bounds originally intended or
expected. As women’s identities and correlative roles and opportunities reached new heights
in mainstream culture, an emboldened subculture of black drag queens on the East Coast
integrated, explored, and reflected similar progression. In this essay, I argue that the shift
from Old Way to New Way Vogueing is linked to the second wave feminist movement—both
predicated on expanding acceptable gender representations. This is evidenced from the
shift in the 1970s from the traditional community of voguers, composed of effeminate
homosexuals, to a new community that included ‘butch’ homosexuals, heterosexual women,
and men. By emulating various roles across the spectrum of gender, drag queens proved
gender to be a construct, reinforcing the work of second wave feminists and proving that
‘woman’ is an ephemeral thing.
1:45–2:00 pm
Supplemental Training of Dancers
Chelsea Salcido (Jason V. Slack), Utah Valley University
Oral Session C1, Converse 202
Introduction: The dancers of the world today are expected to perform physically demanding
skills. The physical performance between what is done in dance classes, rehearsals, and on
stage performances are all physically different. With the time constraints on collegiate dancers
the supplemental training that needs to take place rarely occurs.
Purpose: To determine if using part of the technique class time to incorporate cardiovascular
exercise and dance specific muscle strength exercises can bridge the gap between the physical
demands of dance class, rehearsal, and on stage performance. In addition we hope to suggest
that this supplemental dance specific training should be done during the technique class to
maximize the dancer’s time with all its constrictions. Methods: 23 female dancers enrolled
in a 5 day a week, hour and twenty-minute, level one collegiate modern technique class
participated in a supplemental conditioning program within the class time allotted. Two of the
5 days in class were focused to a circuit training program. The other 3 out of the 5 days were
focused to the technical aspects of modern dance. As a control another level one collegiate
modern technique class participated focusing just on the technical aspects of modern dance
5 days a week. Results: The data was analyzed using a T-test to determine that the control and
the exercise group did not differ in age, gender, years dancing and several other demographical
variables. We will use a dependent T-test to determine the pre-post differences. Conclusion: As
our research concludes we hope to suggest cardiovascular exercise and dance specific muscle
strength exercises should be added to the traditional technique classes.
102
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session C2
1:00–2:00 PM
Business
Moderator: Joseph Price, Brigham Young University
Converse B1
1:00–1:15 pm
Navigating Education Through Networking: Undocumented Students’ Strategies to Obtain
Academic Support
Denise Castañeda, Education (Caitlin Cahill), University of Utah
Oral Session C2, Converse B1
Access to an education and the fulfillment of this privilege has been seen as the solution to
many societal problems in the United States. Who is permitted access to this knowledge has
often been the debate of our nation. The debate becomes more ambiguous when identifiers
such as race, class, socio-economic status, gender, and citizenship status are taken into
consideration because marginalized groups gain access and resources through education that
are otherwise denied to them.
This research focuses on undocumented students and their strategies to pursue their
educational aspirations. There is a need for more scholarship in this area because there are
approximately 65,000 undocumented youth who graduate each year from high school
nationally.
Using a participatory action-research framework, I facilitated two focus groups with
undocumented students to address this very sensitive area. My research reports upon the
students’ strategies for navigating educational and institutional barriers in their pursuit of
higher education. Collectively, we developed a list of solutions to address not only issues in
academia but also the collaboration with community to provide knowledge and support for
undocumented students.
1:15–1:30 pm
Corporate Governance Structure in Emerging Markets
Jason L. De Forest (Karl Lins), University of Utah
Oral Session C2, Converse B1
This study investigates how corporate governance structure influences the dividend policy
and market valuation of firms in six emerging markets. Information from listed corporations
in China, Pakistan, India, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina are analyzed to determine the
significance of variance in corporate governance structure across these markets. The dividend
payout ratio, dividend yield, and market valuation are tested to determine what variance can
be attributed to these different governance structures. This information is then compared
to the dividend policies of firms throughout the United States to contrast the emerging
market policies with that of a developed market. This provides insight into the value of
understanding variance in corporate governance in emerging markets and how it relates to
that of a developed market.
103
Oral Session C2 1:00–2:00 PM
1:30–1:45 pm
Is Puffery Meaningless to Consumers? A Critical Review of Evidence from Consumer Survey
Research
Joshua Blume and Nathanial Harris, Social Science (Ken Bartkus), Utah State University
Oral Session C2, Converse B1
Puffery is defined as an exaggerated advertising claim that is not believed by consumers.
The courts have generally ruled that puffery is not actionable based on an assumption of
meaninglessness. However, because evidence of meaninglessness is not usually required
in court cases, it is possible that some so-called puffery claims may actually be believed by
consumers. If so, the court’s current position on puffery should be reconsidered since it
could have adverse implications for consumers and competition. The purpose of this study
is to address this issue by arguing that puffery claims can be meaningful to consumers.
First, we argue that the use of puffery by advertisers is prima facie evidence that the claims
are not meaningless but, rather, material to consumer decision making. This argument
is based on federal guidelines for cases involving deceptive advertising. Second, a review
of the relevant marketing literature indicates that there is a significant body of research
demonstrating that puffery claims can influence consumer’s attitudes and beliefs. Based
on these arguments, we conclude that the legal precedent on puffery is no longer valid and
that other options should be considered.
1:45–2:00 pm
The Risk and Return from a Different View
Andrew Masuda and Li Chen (Lauren Lo Re), Westminster College
Oral Session C2, Converse B1
Risk and return are critical concepts in the investment arena, but they are often
misunderstood by investors. A variety of ratios and measures attempt to communicate
this relationship, but these are often confusing and difficult to understand. Different
measures can give different indications; the result is a confused investor that continues
to struggle with placing the risk and return information into a meaningful context. This
project examines the use of another tool to evaluate the risk and return relationship. The
coefficient of variation, a measure of the risk per unit of return, offers investors a very
simple and intuitive measure of this relationship. We will examine 100 mutual funds in
a variety of categories and compare how these funds would be ranked if the coefficient of
variation were used as the primary evaluation tool, as opposed to simple return. We will
use this information to make a case for providing investors with this information in order
to increase investor understanding.
104
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session C3
1:00–2:00 PM
Political Science
Moderator: Michael Popich, Westminster College
Converse B18
1:00–1:15 pm
Science and Technology: Determing Identity in Mark Twain’s Pudd’nhead Wilson
Benjamin D. Bascom (Kristin Matthews), Brigham Young University
Oral Session C3, Converse B18
In this paper I examine the intersection of racial politics and science in Mark Twain’s
Pudd’nhead Wilson (1894). In the novel, technology and science are portrayed as forces
that are capable of determining an individual’s identity. Focusing on the novel’s scientific
discourse, I explore the novel’s discussion of the difference between testimonial and
scientific truth and the synecdochical relationship between parts and wholes. These
threads of the novel inform ways of connecting the body to ideologically inflected (or
racial) identities. Indicative of the time period, the novel coincides with a profound
shift in how the body was viewed and interpreted: fingerprinting (developed by Francis
Galton in 1892) proved that each individual human has a “natal autograph” and mass
produced photos proliferated one’s visual identity onto a social sphere. Similarly, Scientific
American’s photographs of anomalous bodies and Puck’s mocking of social anxiety
concerning the camera’s power to record subjectivity reveal a society fascinated with and
fearful of technology’s ability to infiltrate into the private realm. Thus, my exploration
of Twain’s novel peers into a society’s fears concerning the way scientific discourse may
either determine or invalidate modes of identity. Furthermore, engaging Pudd’nhead
Wilson with the two journals’ representations of technology maps out a larger cultural
phenomenon that deals with science, technology, and the racialization of human bodies.
Specifically, I illustrate that the world of America’s post-Gilded Age contends with scientific
appropriation through governing and regulating the machines that rigidly determine or
potentially transform human identity.
105
Oral Session C3 1:00–2:00 PM
1:15–1:30 pm
Disastrous Discourse: The Failure of Democratic Paideia According to Thucydides and Thomas
Hobbes
Spencer C. Woolley (Michael Markowski), Westminster College
Oral Session C3, Converse B18
The year1629 proved to be an important year in English history. The Massachusetts Bay
Colony received a Royal Charter on March fourth; six days later King Charles I dissolved
Parliament and began the Eleven Years’ Tyranny. Amidst such great events appears a
seemingly insignificant occurrence: the publication of the first Greek-to-English version
of Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War by Thomas Hobbes. Thucydides
wrote of the illogical and imprudent governance that befalls a country when a widely
undereducated democratic mob rules; this theme also appears in Hobbes’ later writings
in the Leviathan and Behemoth, where Hobbes condemns democracies for their inherent
chaos and injustice. Both Thucydides and Hobbes saw the devastation of their countries
by unchecked and unrestrained democracy. Both authors accuse the mismanaged and
unrestricted education of the masses as a primary cause for conflict. This paper analyzes
how democratic paideia and rhetoric developed in fifth-century Athens and seventeenthcentury England and how Thucydides and Hobbes blamed that democratic paideia for
causing the Peloponnesian and English Civil Wars.
1:30–1:45 pm
The Representation of Schiller in Modern Political Philosophy
Jeffrey S. Tucker (Paul E. Kerry), Brigham Young University
Oral Session C3, Converse B18
This presentation will seek to explore the status of Friedrich Schiller in the context
of modern political philosophy. Although not considered a major political theorist,
Schiller’s legitimate contributions to political philosophy were recognized well into the
20th century. Unfortunately, relatively little is known about the reception of Schiller
within modern political discourse. As such, a review of hundreds of books, articles, and
dissertations published since 1950 was conducted in an attempt to discover explicit
reference to Schiller. This analysis shows that the politically relevant elements of Schiller’s
work have been largely ignored for the last five decades. In most cases, reference to Schiller
is a stylistic device used to provide poetic interlude on a dominant theme. Less frequently,
Schiller is used as a measure against which to compare the political philosophy of a major
theorist. In very rare instances, the political substance and implication of Schiller’s writings
is the major subject of investigation. In these cases, discussion tends to focus on Schiller’s
thought relative to tyranny and the aesthetic-state. The data does, however, suggest a slowly
growing tendency to recognize the political relevance of Schiller’s work.
106
Oral Session C3 1:00–2:00 PM
1:45–2:00 pm
Industry Dwelling and Ecocriticism in Thomson’s The Seasons
Dallin G. Lewis (Mathew Wickman), Brigham Young University
Oral Session C3, Converse B18
Ecocriticism, with a political bent towards ameliorating the modern-day environmental
crisis, has focused its attention heavily on literary works that lionize nature while largely
ignoring those texts or periods that appear to not share its same eco-political proclivities.
Hence, the eighteenth century—branded as a time when man sought to dominate
nature—has largely been ignored by ecocritics while the Romantic period has been
generally lauded. However, James Thomson’s The Seasons offers a propitious chance to
explore how the eighteenth century and its theories of nature resonate into the envirowriting of Romantics like William Wordsworth. In particular, Thomson’s poem adds a new
perspective to the on-going debate concerning theory’s place in ecocriticism. Some scholars
have argued that ignoring literary theory has minimized ecocriticism’s voice in academia
and has weakened its overall rigor; these critics have strived to more fully evaluate the role
of human influence in conceptualizing the natural world. Thomson’s “industry,” shaped
by Newtonian physics and contemporary environmental theories, exemplifies the fusion
of “nature-culture” that Dana Phillips argues should be the new paradigm of ecocriticism.
Best understood in light of Martin Heidegger’s idea of “dwelling,” industry mediates the
natural world so that humanity can both live within it and appreciate its sublime beauty
simultaneously. Wordsworth, a big fan of Thomson’s, appropriates these ideas into his
own nature writing, as can be seen in “The Ruined Cottage” and “Home at Grasmere,”
demonstrating a stronger ecological connection between his period and the Enlightenment
than has previously been thought.
107
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session C4
1:00–2:00 PM
Math/Computer Science
Moderator: Bill Bynum, Westminster College
Room: Gore 106
1:00–1:15 pm
Anomaly Detection for Unmanned Aerial Wilderness Search and Rescue
Ryan Dutson and David Caldwelll (Curtis Ray Welborn), Utah Valley University
Oral Session C4, Gore 106
Searching for a person lost in the wilderness can be a daunting task. People will follow
different paths through wilderness terrain depending upon their age and fitness level. In
addition, the various paths they could follow often require multiple square miles to be
searched. The rugged terrain of much of Utah can make ground searching very difficult.
Couple this with the fact that young people often hide from their searchers because they
are taught not to talk to strangers. Utah Valley University (UVU) and Brigham Young
University (BYU) have been working jointly on a National Science Foundation grant to aid
wilderness search and rescue personnel by deploying an unmanned aerial plane that will
utilize cameras and software to help look for lost individuals. BYU students have focused
on working on various issues related to the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). UVU students
have focused on developing algorithms and software that can analyze camera footage shot
by the UAV to help detect a lost individual. The algorithms and software developed by
UVU include the following topics:
1.Extract digital images from camera footage shot by the UAV.
2. Analyze digital images to detect surface anomalies that could indicate the presence of a
lost individual.
3.Filter anomalies based upon algorithm-specific and user-defined thresholds.
4.Group anomalies based upon spatial locality.
5. Visually enhance anomalies to aid in their inspection.
6. Catalog anomalies for either immediate or later visual inspection by trained wilderness
rescue personnel.
1:15–1:30 pm
Math and Money—Is there a Link?
Tiffany A. Peterson and Barbara Anderson (Keith White, Max Aeschbacher, and Melinda
Nevels), Utah Valley University
Oral Session C4, Gore 106
One cannot turn on the news today without hearing about mortgages, credit, or the
economy. Mortgages seem to be ground zero for the massive credit crunch, and mortgages
are heavily based in math. Our research is investigating whether a link exists between
108
Oral Session C4 1:00–2:00 PM
mathematical competency and the financial status of individuals living along the Wasatch
Front. We are bringing in approximately 200 local residents to UVU and giving them a
standardized math exam which determines their current understanding of mathematical
concepts. At the same time, we are administering a survey which yields a comprehensive
picture of their financial status, including items such as credit score, credit card usage, and
current mortgage situation. We will examine this data to determine if/how mathematical
understanding affects financial decisions and status.
1:30–1:45 pm
The Frobenius Program in Mathematica Six
Nick M. Hansen and Tyler P. Sherry (Richard Wellman), Westminster College
Oral Session C4, Gore 106
Since the 1988 release of Mathematica 1.0, the core language has been used to implement
most important computational methods in mathematics. In particular, the magnitude
of computations necessary to find series solutions to differential equations, using the
Frobenius method, necessitates the use of a powerful computer algebra system like
Mathematica. We began with a previous implementation of the Frobenius method
from Mathematica 1.0 and two goals: 1) change the engine from string manipulation
to the modernized approach of inputting, manipulating, and outputting Mathematica
objects and 2) create a Java graphical user interface capable of easily loading examples,
taking and checking user input and generating a formatted notebook with the Frobenius
solutions. The result is a new version of the Frobenius program featuring half the lines of
code, more efficient computations, easy updatability and a user interface ready for use by
computational mathematicians and physicists.
1:45–2:00 pm
Modeling Less of More: A Look Inside Amazon ™
Carolyn G. Tweedy (Bill Bynum), Westminster College
Oral Session C4, Gore 106
“Long Tail” business strategies have become an important tool for many online businesses
like Amazon™ and similar venues. There is evidence in the world of online book selling
that Pareto’s Rule (also known as the 80/20 Rule, where 80 percent of the effects come
from 20 percent of the causes) has evolved to reveal new profit opportunities for
booksellers. In an effort to better understand what drives book sales online, we developed
a salability equation and salability model useful in predicting book sales on Amazon™
using logistic regression and various statistical data analysis techniques for hypothesis
testing, including independent sample t-tests in an over-time analysis of variables related
to online book sales. The model assists in indicating which variables and correlations
(among price, Amazon™ sales rank, seller rating, feedback, and condition of books) were
most indicative of the salability of books on Amazon™.
109
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session C5
1:00–2:00 PM
Biology
Moderator: Christopher W. Hoagstrom, Weber State University
Room: Gore 107
1:00–1:15 pm
Mark/ Recapture and Weight Trends for the Canyon Tree Frog (Hyla arenicolor) in Zion
National Park
John Knudsen and Kent Marchant (Curt Walker and David Jones), Dixie State College
Oral Session C5, Gore 107
Mark/recapture studies on the Canyon Tree Frog (Hyla arenicolor) were performed
in various isolated canyons in and around Zion National Park. Population data were
calculated using the Chapman modified version of the Lincoln-Peterson method for
estimated species population size. Toe clipping was the method of mark/recapture
identification in this project; procedures for toe clipping recommended by the National
Wildlife Health Center were used. Recorded weights of captured frogs from individual
canyons were analyzed to compare canyon topography to frog size ratios. Weight trends
throughout the canyons showed areas with narrow canyons resulted in smaller frogs,
while canyons with the larger pools, extra cover from predators, and protection from
flash floods, yielded larger adult frogs. Frog sizes were also used in comparison with
water temperatures throughout the canyons, displaying a positive correlation with
warmer temperatures and large body size. Experienced climbing and rappelling skills
were required for data collection.
1:15–1:30 pm
The Use of Microbial Community Studies in Determination of a Possible Pathogenic
Microorganism Involved in the Dark Spot Disease of Starlet Coral
Jeremiah C. Whetman (Charlotte Pederson), Southern Utah University
Oral Session C5, Gore 107
The worlds coral reefs are on a steady decline, and one of the factors that might be
contributing to this seems to be the rise in ocean temperature. When the temperature
rises, the normal bacterial flora of the reef is offset and more cases of coral disease occur.
This study focuses on the dark spot disease found on starlet coral (Siderastrea sidereal)
throughout the Caribbean. Samples were taken from unhealthy, healthy and dead coral.
The coral samples were screened for differences in the bacterial community using the ECO
plates. Bacteria were isolated using ¼ LB and identified by 16 s DNA sequencing. Isolation
yielded 15 visibly different cultures, and the 16 s gene has been successfully sequenced
from 7 of the 15 cultures. Sequences of 5 of cultures from the dead coral sample, 1 of the
cultures of unhealthy coral sample, and 1 of the culture of the healthy coral sample have
110
Oral Session C5 1:00–2:00 PM
been completed. Halomonas, Arthrobacter, Mesorhizobium, and Pseudomonas are among
the species possibly identified and 2 isolates had no identity to any previously cultured.
The possible pathogenicity of the bacteria will be discussed.
1:30–1:45 pm
The Development of Transgenic Worms
Jeremy B. Thompson and Jochen Rink (Alejandro Sanchez Alvarado), University of Utah
Oral Session C5, Gore 107
Whereas humans and other mammals have only very limited abilities to regenerate, other
animals have astonishing capabilities in this respect. Planarian flatworms can regenerate
any and all body parts. In fact, it has been estimated that a fragment 1/200th the original
size of the animal is still able to regenerate into a complete and perfectly proportioned
worm. The realization that the high densities of stem cells in planarian tissues power their
regeneration has caused a recent surge in interest in planarians as a model system for
studying stem cell function during regenerative processes.
Central to obtaining a mechanistic understanding of planarian regeneration will be
the availability of transgenic animals. The long-term goal of this project is to establish
transgenesis in the species Schmidtea Mediterranea, via “rescuing” stem –cell depleted
worms with transplanted in-vitro manipulated stem cells.
The first challenge consisted of establishing suitable culture conditions for cells isolated
from dissociated animals. We first developed a microscopy-based quantitative assay for
culture viability. Using a 96-Well plate format and newly developed automated image
analysis software, we were able to screen a large number of media for their ability to
maintain cell viability. We have now defined a medium formulation, along with suitable
supplements, that supports a sterile and healthy culture over many days in vitro. Having
achieved this experimental milestone, we have now started the next phase of the project:
cloning a range of endogenous planarian promoters and integrating them into a retrovirusbased gene expression system.
Now that we have an available cell culture system for screening and optimizing transgene
expression, we should be able to make swift progress during this phase of the project and
towards our final goal of readily available transgenic planarians.
1:45–2:00 pm
Ecomorphology of Sculpin, a Native Fish of Northeastern Utah
Nathan V. Holmes (Christopher W. Hoagstrom), Weber State University
Oral Session C5, Gore 107
We compared body shapes of sculpin from 12 streams of northeastern Utah. We took 23
body shape measurements on sculpin over 71 mm in length, measuring a total of 373
individuals of two species (mottled sculpin, Paiute sculpin). Head shape, body girth,
111
Oral Session C5 1:00–2:00 PM
mouth size, fin length, and prickle abundance were variable among specimens. Sculpin
with longer heads, thicker bodies, larger mouths, and more prickles inhabited slower
streams that had a greater abundance of brown trout and mottled sculpin as well as a
greater number of fish species. Sculpin with narrower heads and shorter fins inhabited
smaller streams with faster currents, deeper pools, and a rockier streambed. These streams
also had a greater abundance of brown trout and lesser abundance of mottled and Paiute
sculpin. From this, it appears that competition and predation pressures combine with
adaptations to local environmental conditions to influence sculpin morphology.
112
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session C6
1:00–2:00 PM
Engineering
Moderator: Kent Walker, Utah Valley University
Gore 108
1:00–1:15 pm
Investigating the Vibrational Structure of Alkali Metal Surfaces
Richard Wilson (Mark Riffe), Utah State University
Oral Session C6, Gore 108
Thermal and mechanical properties of solids are largely dependent on the nature of their
atomic vibrations. While bulk atomic vibrations are well understood, investigation into
the nature of surface atomic vibrations is lacking. The characteristics of surface vibration
are important in the design and understanding of nano-structures, the interpretation
of experimental techniques used to study solids, and the understanding of a variety of
physical phenomena that solids exhibit. To increase the current understanding of surface
vibrations, a computer model has been created that calculates the vibrational structure
of bulk and surface atoms in the alkali metals. The model is based on the embedded
atom method and uses a semi-empirical interatomic potential. Theoretical calculations
have been done to predict the vibrational density of states, entropy, specific heat, surface
relaxations, and Debye temperatures of alkali metals. Results for bulk atoms are in good
agreement with experiment, giving credibility to the model’s accuracy. A database is being
created that compares the bulk and surface Debye temperatures calculated. This database
will give greater insight into the physical nature of surfaces than previously available.
1:15–1:30 pm
E-85 Versus High Octane Race Fuel on the Salt Flats
Jedidiah D. Oldman (Todd Low), Utah Valley University
Oral Session C6, Gore 108
Can E-85 replace high-octane race fuel? E-85 has an octane rating of 105-110; high octane
race fuel has a octane rating of 110. Our study shows the effects of running E-85 vs. Race
fuel. We started out running race fuel in our 1976 Chevrolet El Camino; we were able to
beat our old land-speed record set last year at 189mph with a new speed of 194mph. This
was the benchmark we used to compare our results. We hoped to match if not exceed this
speed using E-85. First E-85 run we added 25% E-85 and 75% race fuel. We made another
run 124mph and Exhaust Gas temp lights came on; car is running too hot at 1400 degrees
Fahrenheit. We richened up the fuel by putting in larger 95 jets; we were able to go 184
mph before exhaust gas temperature lights came on. We again added more race fuel to
reduce the E-85 mixture to 10% in addition to larger 110 jets. We were able to reach 175
113
Oral Session C6 1:00–2:00 PM
mph. We added more race fuel and again were able to reach 194 mph, but we still had
exhaust gas temperatures very high. Our conclusion is we came close with E-85; however,
the car ran hotter and leaner. We needed to burn a lot more E-85 to get the same results.
Next year we plan to run dual carburetors and try E-85 again.
1:30–1:45 pm
Microcracking of Cement-treated Pavement Base Layers
Charles A. Hope (W. Spencer Guthrie), Brigham Young University
Oral Session C6, Gore 108
This research focuses on the response of the portable falling weight deflectometer (PFWD),
the soil stiffness gauge (SSG), and the Clegg impact soil tester (CIST) to microcracking of
cement-treated base (CTB). Microcracking is the process of creating microscopic cracks in
newly constructed CTB with a vibratory roller as a means to reducing shrinkage cracking
typical of cement-stabilized road base. Ten stations were selected along a residential
road in Salt Lake City, where three readings were taken at each site using the PFWD,
the SSG, and the CIST prior to microcracking, and after each vibratory roller pass. The
results were analyzed using a statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA). The sensitivity or
response of each instrument was determined, along with a comparison between each of
the instruments for a correlation analysis. The PFWD and the SSG proved to be accurately
responsive to each pass of the vibratory roller, while the CIST showed no correlation
between each reading and vibratory roller pass. The PFWD and SSD are recommended for
monitoring the process of microcracking CTB. The CIST is not recommended.
1:45–2:00 pm
Capitalizing on Heterogeneity and Anisotropy to Find Designs With Unexpected Performance
Stephen P. Harston, Sadegh Ahmadi, and Brent L. Adams (Christopher A. Mattson),
Brigham Young University
Oral Session C6, Gore 108
In this paper we present a method for using material properties as continuous design
variables by strategically orienting and laminating thin metal sheets. We show how one
can make calculated changes to the microstructure to obtain desired results in material
properties at designer specified locations (heterogeneously) or across the entire part
(homogeneously). The desired material properties are obtainable when an optimization
routine is coupled with the rotation/lamination theory as presented in this paper. The case
studies show how these modified material properties may be implemented into product
designs enabling unexpected product performance. Importantly, we show how one can
fix the geometry and material for a product, but still obtain a wide range of performance
by solely changing material properties in a homogeneous, or heterogeneous, manner to
obtain a performance that is unexpected and desired for the given product.
114
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session C7
1:00–2:00 PM
Chemistry/Physics
Moderator: Peter Conwell, Westminster College
Gore 205
1:00–1:15 pm
The Effects of Chemoattractant Buffers and Functional PEG Modified Glass Slides on Bacterial
Chemoattractant Behaviors
Leslie Mounteer and Victoria Kmetzsch (Anhong Zhou), Utah State University
Oral Session C7, Gore 205
Bacterial movement towards pollutants is the first step for bacteria in bioremediation
and biodegradation of environmental contaminants. Quantification of bacterial motility
plays an important role in the basic understanding of the interaction between bacteria
and pollutant chemicals. The goal of this project is to investigate the effect of polyethylene
glycol (PEG) and its derivatives with different functional head groups (PEG-NH2, -COOH,
-CH3) on the chemotactic behaviors of a model organism, Pseudomonas Putida KT 2440,
an environmentally beneficial microorganism in soil bioremediation. It is proposed that
using PEG and/or its derivatives will reduce bacterial adhesion on glass micro slides;
this will allow bacterial cells to move more freely for real time video microscopy. Each
functional group’s chemical properties will effect the surface charge of the micro slide
which effects the bacteria’s affinity for adhesion. Moreover, the use of several different
chemo-attractant buffers has also shown large effects on the adhesion of bacterial cells. In
this study, quantitative assessments of the chemotactic behaviors are conducted on glass
slides modified with different functional groups of PEG molecules as well as different
chemo-attractant buffers being used for cell suspension.
1:15–1:30 pm
Sequence-dependent Changes in PNA•DNA Duplex Conformations
Jennifer-Lynn Demers (Tricia D. Shepherd), Westminster College
Oral Session C7, Gore 205
Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) forms heteroduplexes with either DNA or RNA strands that
are more stable than the corresponding homoduplex structures. Addition stabilization
is observed when the pyrimidine bases are present on the DNA strand in contrast to the
PNA strand. To investigate the origin of these different stabilities, we used molecular
dynamics simulations to study the structural properties of a series of PNA•DNA duplexes
for which the pyrimidine base content of the DNA strand was systematically decreased
from containing only pyrimidine to only purine bases. Backbone dihedral angles and
sugar puckering of the DNA strand in the hybrid indicate that the purine rich DNA strand
samples both A-like and B-like conformations, while the more stable pyrimidine rich
115
Oral Session C7 1:00–2:00 PM
DNA hybrid exhibits more A-like conformations. This suggests that less stable PNA-DNA
duplexes form when the DNA strand retains some of its homoduplex B-type structural
characteristics.
1:30–1:45 pm
Sequence-dependent Structural Differences in RNA•DNA Hybrids
Danyal J. Floisand (Tricia D. Shepherd), Westminster College
Oral Session C7, Gore 205
Molecular dynamics is used to study the structure and flexibility of RNA•DNA hybrids
in aqueous solution. While it is known that these hybrids are stabilized when purine
bases are present on the RNA strand, both experimental and theoretical studies
present conflicting results regarding the flexibility of the hybrid duplexes compared
to homoduplex structures. In order to further investigate the flexibility and sequencedependent structural effects, we performed molecular dynamics simulations on a series
of RNA•DNA duplex systems for which the purine base content of the RNA strand was
increased from containing only pyrimidine to only purine bases. A systematic shift in the
gamma and chi dihedral angles is observed as well as the sugar pucker phase angle. In
addition, the average RMS fluctuation ofpurine-rich RNA duplexes is substantially smaller
than the other duplexes, suggesting a possible sequence-dependent effect on hybrid
flexibility.
1:45–2:00 pm
EUV Transmission Grating Spectrometer for Absolute Intensity Measurements from 2 to 250nm
Bryce Allred and Matt Nilsen (Scott D. Bergeson), Brigham Young University
Oral Session C7 Gore 205
We report on the development of an Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) transmission grating
spectrometer for absolute intensity measurements over an extremely wide spectral range,
from 2 to 250 nm [1]. The spectrometer uses a transmission grating array and a CCD
camera. The detector was absolutely calibrated in the 5 to 20 nm spectral range using a
capillary discharge plasma source [2]. Spectral calibration was accomplished using a laserproduced plasma source. Spectra from ablated Li, Al, Fe, Cu, Sn, Mo and W solid targets
were recorded and analyzed. Spectral resolution of 0.1 to 0.2 nm was demonstrated from
wavelengths of 2 to 85 nm. The device is very compact (60 x 200 mm). It is ideal for
absolute intensity measurements at 13.5 nm as well as for characterizing EUV lithography
sources.
116
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session C8
1:00–2:00 PM
Botany
Moderator: Claudia Radel, Utah State University
Gore 206
1:00–1:15 pm
The Affect of Solution Ph on Plant (Helianthus annus L., Asteraceae)
Growth and Development
Adam M. Weagle and H. Gaven Smith (Terri Hildebrand), Southern Utah University
Oral Session C8, Gore 206
Helianthus annuus (sunflower) is important to many economies, found in every soil type,
and distributed across North America. As a crop, sunflowers grow in a variety of soil types
and respond to nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium amendments. Optimum soil pH for
sunflower growth has been recorded between 6.0 and 8.0, but more extreme
values have not been examined. Additionally, differences in the anatomical structure of
plants grown over a broad pH range have not been explored. Our study reports the
morphological and anatomical changes that develop when sunflowers are grown in
environments that differ in solution pH. The variant “Pacino Gold” was an ideal study
organism because its dwarf size was manageable in the greenhouse. Plants were grown
in a soilless mix for eight weeks. Three replicates of 12 specimens were included in each
treatment that applied water solutions of seven pH values (4.5 – 9.5). Plant height,
number of leaves, leaf length, and leaf wilt were recorded weekly. At the end of the
growing period, stem width and total biomass were quantified. Regression and ANOVA
analyses revealed significant effects on growth associated with various solutions. Solution
pH affects were also investigated anatomically on randomly selected samples from three
treatments (pH 4.5, 7.5, and 9.5). Slides of leaf petiole, taproot, first node, and root tip
transverse sections were stained, photographed and internal structures measured. Vascular
bundle width did not vary significantly within each treatment, but significant differences
were observed among the three treatments. Future studies that investigate the affect of
solution pH on sunflower reproduction and fitness have the potential for agricultural and
horticultural application.
1:15–1:30 pm
Aspen Developmental Processes Strongly Influence Photosynthesis and Water Potential
Tiffany Lillrose (Samuel B. St. Clair), Brigham Young University
Oral Session C8, Gore 206
Quaking aspen has a clonal growth habit that results in a wide variety of genetically
identical age classes within a single stand. The objective of this study was to examine
rates of photosynthesis and water potential as a function of eight different age classes
117
Oral Session C8 1:00–2:00 PM
within an age range of 1-160 years. We hypothesized that physiological capacity of aspen
decreases as the clone ages. Knowing how physiology changes over a tree’s lifespan
demonstrates which trees are most useful to the organism in acquiring energy and water.
In this study, measurements of photosynthesis rates and water potential were taken from
eight aspen stands in the Uinta and Fish Lake National Forests. Core samples were also
taken from each tree and were analyzed via tree ring analysis to determine ages for the
trees. When photosynthesis rates across different ages were compared, photosynthesis
hit its peak between 20 and 80 years of age. Water potential, on the other hand, seems to
slowly rise until it peaks between 40 and 80 years of age and then starts to decrease again.
From the data, trees that are between the ages of 40 and 80 years are most important for
energy fixation and water uptake. This stresses the importance of constantly allowing
reestablishment of young aspen to maintain a constant supply of trees that fit this age
range and therefore maximize overall energy and water acquisition.
1:30–1:45 pm
Hydrophobicity in the Forcing of Flowering of Paperwhite Narcissu
Carly Duncan (Craig D. Thulin), Utah Valley University
Oral Session C8, Gore 206
Plants are frequently “forced” to flower, limiting growth of the stalk and non-flowering
parts. Experiments in forcing paperwhite narcissus plants have been done using ethanol.
However, little is known about using isopropyl alcohol—which is easily available as
rubbing alcohol—for forcing paperwhites. Isopropyl alcohol is suggested to produce
the same results, mainly due to its similarity in hydrophobicity to its counterpart,
ethanol. Since alcohol reduces plants’ ability to absorb water, enough to stunt the
growth of the stalk and leaves of plants, but not enough so as to limit flowering size and
length, we hypothesize that for isopropyl alcohol will work as does ethanol, though at
a lower concentration (since it is more hydrophobic). In a controlled study using 32
narcissus bulbs, we use three alcohols of different hydrophobicities—as well as another
amphipathic compound, acetone—to measure the effect of hydrophobicity on plant
growth and flowering. As we study the growth of these plants, we will be able to determine
if hydrophobicity of different alcohols is in reality explains why these flowers grow in a
stunted manner as well as the effectiveness of isopropyl alcohol for this use. Our results
will have practical value for horticulturalists who want to use rubbing alcohol instead of
grain alcohol to force flowers, as well as theoretical value explaining the mechanism by
which this phenomenon of forcing flowers happens.
118
Oral Session C8 1:00–2:00 PM
1:45–2:00 pm
Cropping Systems: Soil Sustainability vs. Profit
Travis J. Beckett and Jacob D. Washburn (Bryan G. Hopkins), Brigham Young University
Oral Session C8, Gore 206
The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is one of the six major worldwide food crops. To meet
the high demand for production and generate a profit, potato growers are encouraged to
follow best management practices—including optimal rotation length. However, amidst
financial pressure in recent years, growers in the Pacific Northwest have been decreasing
rotation length—leaving less time between successive potato crops.
Research has clearly shown that shortening crop rotation lengths will cause problems
with long-term field sustainability, leading to lower crop quality and yield. The objective
of this project was to obtain accurate, verified, and clear data regarding the effects of
rotation length on crop yield and quality, thus enabling growers to make better agricultural
management decisions.
For this project, fifty-four 5-gallon soil samples (twenty-seven from long-rotation fields,
and twenty-seven from short-rotation fields) were obtained from fields across the Pacific
Northwest and brought to the greenhouse at BYU. Potato plants were cultivated in each
sample.
Factors measured include: nematode, weed, and pathogen populations; observations of
potato vine progression and decline during the greenhouse growing season; and yield and
quality of harvested tubers. Based on data collected in this study, the net return of shortrotation potato crops is estimated to be $350 to $800 less per acre than the net return of
long rotation potato crops.
119
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session C9
1:00–2:00 PM
Interdisciplinary: Gender Studies
Moderator: Brian Whaley, Utah Valley University
Gore 228
1:00–1:15 pm
The Evolution on the Views of Women
Catherine V. Lowe (Gae Lyn Henderson), Utah Valley University
Oral Session C9, Gore 228
The roots of prejudice against women have long been embedded in Western culture. The
ancient Greeks supported gender discrimination, declaring the male to be the superior and
the female the inferior. This was the prominent view of women through the centuries and
well into the nineteenth century. Female suffrage was so remote, so beyond the imagined
possibilities, that it would still not be debated for another century or so. Eventually
though, the laws governing women changed, but did this prompt a change in the views
of women? To establish the evolution that has taken place on the views of women, I take
a historical look at the views of women in the nineteenth century, both generally and
literarily, and then trace those views along with the themes that are present in the leading
feminist text Madwoman in the Attic through the novel Wuthering Heights to show how
that novel really was a product of its nineteenth-century time period, both in Bronte’s
treatment of the female characters and also through the covert way the novel itself was
published. By comparing and contrasting Wuthering Heights with Daughter of Fortune, a
21st century piece, I show the different approaches that each author took based on their
perspective as authors of their respective time periods. The differences in these approaches
are indicative of the evolution of the rights of women and the views of society toward
them.
1:15–1:30 pm
Johanna Lankau’s Dresdner Spaziergänge and the Walking Woman as an Outsider
Bess Hayes (Robert McFarland), Brigham Young University
Oral Session C9, Gore 228
In nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Germany, it was ideologically inappropriate
for women to walk unaccompanied through the city. Because of these gendered strictures,
women’s narratives of city walks are extremely rare. Johanna M. Lankau’s Dresden Walks
is one of these exceptions. While traditional scholarship about German urban literature
has either ignored women’s travel and walking narratives or made them seem like freakish
aberrations, a recent literary historical movement has revealed that walking women
writers did write about the city, albeit within certain restrictive codes of decency. Despite
the recent divided scholarship about the historical reality of writing women walkers,
120
Oral Session C9 1:00–2:00 PM
Lankau’s book shows that there were indeed women walkers who wrote about the city. I
argue that, although the existence of the writing woman walker, such as Johanna Lankau,
has been called into question in academic discussions, Lankau uses techniques that
bring the actions in her writing back into an appropriate realm. First, she maintains a
close association with nature environments, which were thought to improve and benefit
women. Secondly, her language is similar to the then-emerging popular genre of the
feuilleton, as it includes enthusiastic phrases, precise descriptions of the images she
observes, and references to buildings and people.
1:30–1:45 pm
The Idea of a Patron: Eleanor of Aquitaine
Katie A. McNey (Brandie Siegfried), Brigham Young University
Oral Session C9, Gore 228
My presentation will submit a few of the results of my Honors thesis in which I argue that,
despite current doubts among scholars, ample evidence exists that Eleanor of Aquitaine
did patronize the arts and literature. Traditionally, historians have connected Eleanor with
the courtly love movement, yet modern scholarship has rejected her participation in this
trend. As a result, scholars have also discredited her involvement in the arts altogether.
My project has been both to dismantle the legends erroneously connecting her with the
courtly love conceit and to assert that she was an avid supporter of other types of literature.
I further elucidate her literary contributions by pointing to her influence on the patronage
of subsequent European female rulers, such as Elizabeth I and Henrietta Maria, and make
the case for the historical preservation of her image as patron and the regular imitation of
her patronage practices.
1:45–2:00 pm
An Exercise in Creative Criticism: The Voice of Elizabeth Pepys
Amber L. Watson (Brian Whaley), Utah Valley University
Oral Session C9, Gore 228
Hamlet’s Ophelia has long served as an archetype of submissive and oppressed young
womanhood. Heavily subjected to her father, brother and lover, she ultimately cracks
under the weight of their constant and conflicting demands. Through a lesser-known
character and also a rough contemporary to Ophelia’s author, Shakespeare, I will be
examining women’s consciousness at that period in history by making imaginative use
of Elizabeth Pepys, wife of diarist Samuel Pepys. Though Elizabeth appears in many of
the entries in Samuel’s famous diary, she is largely voiceless, a crucial and telling absence
in Samuel’s personal accounts of ambition, complications, and frequent unfaithfulness.
To bring Elizabeth to life, as it were, this project plays with history, drawing upon the
consciousness of another historical figure, Mary Wollstonecraft, the notorious early
feminist. By putting Wollstonecraft into dialogue with Pepys’s beset wife and thereby
giving her voice, this project encourages the expression of the kinds of concerns—the
truth of Elizabeth’s experience as a woman—that Wollstonecraft devoted so much of her
energies to in the century following Elizabeth Pepys’s death in 1669.
121
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session C10
1:00–2:00 PM
Interdisciplinary: Health Sciences
Moderator: Nicole Okazaki, Weber State University
Gore B24
1:00–1:15 pm
Ventilation Mode Affects Ovine Pulmonary IGF-1 Epigenetic Characteristics
Matthew McCoy (Kurt H. Albertine), University of Utah
Oral Session C10, Gore B24
Mechanical ventilation (MV) of premature neonates and lambs induces chronic lung disease.
The lungs of MV preterm lambs are characterized by (1) alveolar simplification and (2)
decreased lung expression of IGF-1 mRNA variants. IGF-1 mRNA expression is regulated
by epigenetic mechanisms, such as histone acetylation and methylation. Treatment of MV
preterm lambs with histone deacetylase inhibitors improves outcome. We hypothesized that
MV of preterm lambs would affect the histone code of lung IGF-1 when compared to a more
moderate mode of ventilation (high-frequency nasal ventilation; HFNV).
For AcH3K14, prematurity significantly decreased acetylation for both promoter regions of
IGF-1, regardless of ventilation mode. For Me3H3K4, prematurity increased trimethylation
in promoter 2 and exon 6, regardless of ventilation mode. Trimethylation in promoter
1 was significantly greater in PT MV lambs compared to PT HFNV or T lambs. For
Me3H3K36, trimethylation in exon 4 also was significantly greater compared to PT HFNV
or T lambs. Trimethylation in exon 6 was greater compared to PT HFNV lambs.
We conclude that both prematurity and mode of ventilation affect the histone code along
the length of the IGF-1 gene in ovine lung. These findings are novel because they are
among the first to demonstrate gene-specific epigenetic responses to prolonged ventilation
of preterm neonates. (HL62875, HL56401, HD41075, CHRC)
1:15–1:30 pm
A CRE-ER Based Mouse Model for Synovial Sarcoma
Matthew L. Hedberg and Malay Haldar (Mario R. Capecchi), University of Utah
Oral Session C10, Gore B24
Synovial sarcoma is a highly aggressive mesenchymal cancer that commonly occurs in
children; representing approximately 8% of all soft tissue sarcomas but approximately
15-20% of soft tissue sarcoma cases in adolescents and young adults. It shows modest
response to conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy, suggesting a need for improved biotargeted agents to be developed as potential treatment options for patients. Historically,
the progress of researchers has been impeded by a lack of insight as to the cellular
origin(s), and the pathogenesis of this deadly disease. The presence of a specific diagnostic
t(X;18) translocation leading to expression of the unique SYT-SSX fusion protein in
122
Oral Session C10 1:00–2:00 PM
effectively all cases of synovial sarcoma strongly suggests a role in the etiology.
By conditionally expressing the human t(X;18) translocation-derived SYT-SSX2 fusion
protein in a Tamoxifen-inducible Cre-ER system in mice we show that sporadic expression
of SYT-SSX2 across multiple tissue types leads to the exclusive formation of synovial
sarcoma-like tumors; while its widespread expression is lethal. This Cre-ER based sporadic
expression model avoids the severe and fatal phenotypes during early development that
were observed in the previously reported model associated with widespread SYT-SSX2
expression (Haldar et al., 2007). Additionally, it better models the natural pathogenesis
of cancers where transformed cells arise within a microenvironment of primarily normal
cells; suggesting that it more closely recapitulates the human form of the disease.
Furthermore, this strategy allows for multiple potential cellular origins, as observed in
humans, within a single model system.
1:30–1:45 pm
Pharmacological and Genetic Models Indicate That Ceramide Accrual Impairs Vascular Function
in a Tissue Autonomous Manner
C. Gale, Dix H. Pettey, Lloyd J. Wilson, and Jason M. Tanner (J. David Symons),
University of Utah
Oral Session C10, Gore B24
We reported that attenuating ceramide synthesis using myriocin (M) prevents high fat
diet-induced arterial dysfunction, and hypertension. Further, fat mass was less and insulin
sensitivity and glucose tolerance (GTT) were improved, in M vs. vehicle-treated fat fed
mice. This study determined whether vascular ceramide biosynthesis evokes arterial
dysfunction in a tissue autonomous manner. Ceramide increased 1.6 ± 0.1–fold (p<0.05)
in cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) incubated with 500 uM of the saturated
free fatty acid palmitate (P) for 180-min and was blunted by co-administration of P with
10 µM M. Based on these results, we evaluated acetylcholine (ACh)-evoked relaxation
(wire myography) in arteries that were precontracted with phenylephrine (PE) to 65%
of their Lmax tension before and after 180-min incubation with vehicle for P (V-P) or
M (V-M), P, or P+M (n=7 mice / group). Compared to ACh-evoked vasorelaxation preincubation, responses were impaired (p<0.05) after treatment with P, but not P+M, V-P,
or V-M. Additional studies were performed using arteries from mice heterozygous for
dihydroceramide desaturase (des1+/-), an enzyme required for ceramide biosynthesis,
and their wild-type littermates (WT; n=5 mice/group). Vascular ceramide was lower
(p<0.05) in des1+/- vs. WT mice, while GTT, body composition (dexa), and fasting
insulin concentrations (ELISA) were similar between groups. Compared to ACh-evoked
vasorelaxation before treatment with P, responses were impaired (p<0.05) after 180min incubation with P in WT but not des1+/- mice. Sodium nitroprusside evoked
vasorelaxation was similar between groups. Based on these pharmacological and genetic
manipulations of vascular ceramide, we conclude that ceramide biosynthesis directly
impairs arterial function. NIH HL091493-01, ADA 7-08-RA-164 to JDS.
123
Oral Session C10 1:00–2:00 PM
1:45–2:00 pm
Mechanical Ventilation of Preterm Lambs for Three Days Alters MRNA Expression of Apoptotic
and Glucocorticoid Molecules
C. Blair, C. Amundsen, D. Metcalfe, Matthew McCoy, B. Beck, A. Whitworth, A. Smith, J.
Alvord, L. Dong, M.J. Dahl, L. Joss-Moore, L. Moyer-Mileur, D.M. Null, B.A. Yoder, R.H.
Lane, and K.H. Albertine (B.P.D), University of Utah
Oral Session C10, Gore B24
Animal models of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) indicate that prolonged
mechanical ventilation (MV) induces changes in gene expression in the lung, secondary
to altered chromatin structure. Those changes may be due to chronic stress of the preterm
neonate, which alters glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression, glucocorticoid metabolism,
and apoptosis. Because BPD is associated with secondary injury to other organs, we
tested whether the liver of chronically ventilated preterm lambs undergoes changes in
GR expression, glucocorticoid metabolism, and apoptosis. We hypothesized that MV for
3 days (d) will lead to altered GR expression, glucocorticoid metabolism (11 HSD), and
apoptosis (p53, Bax, cleaved caspase 3) in the liver of preterm lambs.
Preterm (PT) lambs (~132d gestation; term ~150d), treated with antenatal steroids and
postnatal surfactant, were managed by MV or high-frequency nasal ventilation (HFNV;
positive outcome control) for 3d. Gestation controls were fetal start (FS) and fetal end
(FE). Liver tissue was analyzed by quantitative real time RT-PCR and normalized for
GAPDH mRNA expression.
PT MV group had the lowest relative expression of mRNAs among the groups. The
difference between the PT MV versus HFNV groups was significant (*p<0.05).
MV of preterm lambs for 3d decreases GR expression, glucocorticoid metabolism, and
apoptosis in the liver of preterm lambs. Those changes were not evident with HFNV. We
speculate that those differences, based on ventilation mode, contribute to multi-organ
dysfunction that is characteristic of BPD. (HL62875, HL56401, HD41075, CHRC)
124
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session C11
1:00–2:00 PM
Environmental Science
Moderator: Steven H. Emerman, Utah Valley University
Gore B25
1:00–1:15 pm
Micropropagation Studies in Astragalus holmgreniorum
Aaron R. Fry, Brett A. McGowan, and Julianne Babaoka (Olga R. Kopp), Utah Valley
University
Oral Session C11, Gore B25
Astragalus holmgreniorum, a species endemic to just a few locations in southern Utah and
northern Arizona is listed as a federally endangered species. Threats to the species stem
from habitat destruction arising primarily from commercial and residential development,
overgrazing by livestock, off-highway vehicle use, and mining operations. In an attempt
to develop a micropropagation technique aimed at aiding in recovery efforts for the
species, we report successful induction of shoots from callus tissue. Explants were taken
from leaves (abaxial and adaxial surfaces) and from petioles. These were incubated in MS
medium amended with 2,-4 D and BA to induce callus formation. Medium having 5 mg/L
of 2,-4 D and 1 mg/L of BA was shown to yield the most robust plantlets. Morphogenetic
callus resulted in the production of plantlets that will be induced to root. Current work
focuses on the effects of varying concentrations of NAA, IBA, and IAA on root formation.
Following root induction, we plan to acclimatize plantlets by incubating them in potting
soil. Ultimately, we hope that this research may be used to aid in recovery efforts by
providing a stock of plants which will be used to establish new populations and to
introduce genetic variation into existing ones.
1:15–1:30 pm
Genetic Diversity among Bromus Tectorum Populations as Determined by Microsatellite
Keith R. Merrill, Craig E. Coleman, Mikel R. Stevens, Kirk Bean, and Susan E. Meyer
(Craig E. Coleman), Brigham Young University
Oral Session C11, Gore B25
Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass, or downy brome) is an exotic annual weed introduced to
the United States ca. 1890. Since its introduction, B. tectorum has been extremely effective
in invading the Intermountain West, displacing native flora and causing extensive loss of
shrub and rangeland habitats. We are using microsatellite markers (SSRs) for genotyping
ecologically diverse populations of B. tectorum. Our goal is to better understand the
correlation between B tectorum genotypes and the ecological habitats in which they are
found, as well as to discover why this species is such a successful invasive. We are also
investigating different pathogen interactions in the various ecotypes in search of possible
125
Oral Session C11 1:00–2:00 PM
methods of biological control. By genotyping various Old World populations (e.g. Greece,
Turkey, Cyprus, etc), we seek to locate the origins of the most successful U.S. variants, and
thus gain insight into what helps keep B. tectorum in check in these indigenous regions.
Recently, we discovered that the SSR markers are not nearly as robust as originally assumed.
Through sequencing of same-length alleles, we have demonstrated that there are multiple
insertion/deletion (indel) sites within the amplified regions of our SSRs. This complicates
the analysis we have completed thus far, indicating that genetic diversity of B. tectorum has
been underestimated. We discuss the possible development of more robust markers for
analysis, as well as the potential for sequencing the B. tectorum genome to facilitate crossspecies comparison with well-characterized grass species such as rice and maize.
1:30–1:45 pm
New Constraints on the Timing of Prehistoric Earthquakes on the Nephi Segment of the Wasatch
Fault, Utah
Connie Smith Barnes and Kevin A. Rey (Daniel Horns), Utah Valley University
Oral Session C11, Gore B25
The Wasatch fault, which runs directly through the heavily populated Wasatch Front urban
corridor, appears to be divided into eleven segments. Although there have been no large
historic earthquakes on the Wasatch fault, geologic studies indicate that each segment
is capable of producing earthquakes of about magnitude-7. The area along the Nephi
segment of the Wasatch fault is undergoing rapid urbanization, so an understanding of
the earthquake history of the Nephi segment is crucial. Studies conducted in the 1980’s
and 1990’s, however, could only constrain the timing of the two most recent earthquakes
on the Nephi segment to <1.0 ±.4 ka and ≈ 3.9 ± 0.5ka. We excavated a trench across
the northern part of the Nephi segment of the Wasatch fault in order to better-constrain
the history of earthquakes on the segment. The trench exposed evidence of two large
prehistoric earthquakes. The most recent of these quakes produced three meters of vertical
displacement of the ground surface. The trench also exposed organic-rich soil layers that
were offset by the earthquakes. Radiocarbon dating of organic material from the soil layers
indicates that the two earthquakes occurred about 3,500 years ago and 2,500 years ago.
Previous studies had not found evidence for an earthquake on the Nephi segment near
2,500 years ago. This work was conducted largely by two Summer Field geology classes,
helping students develop field skills and providing them with practical experience.
1:45–2:00 pm
Air Pollutants and Carbon Sequestration in Soils
Chris L. Jensen (James Callison), Utah Valley University
Oral Session C11, Gore B25
Air pollution along the Wasatch front is a major concern for the State of Utah. Because of
their geologic setting, both Utah and Salt Lake Counties experience seasonal inversions
that trap particulate matter and other pollutants in the air. Experiments are being
conducted under the leadership of Dr. James Callison, Department of Earth Science at
126
Oral Session C11 1:00–2:00 PM
Utah Valley University, to use the soil to capture and remediate particulate matter, CO,
NOx and SOx pollutants from a wood burning stove. After a chemical analysis of the test
site was completed for a baseline, 100 ft of 4 inch perforated pipe was laid in the soil.
The stove was fitted with heat exchangers, a 200 cfm inducer motor, atmospheric fresh air
intake vents, wired with low voltage controls and connected to the underground piping.
Initial fires were lit and the operation was calibrated with the atmospheric vents to control
temperatures below creosote precipitation levels and to comply with requirements of the
safety control equipment on the fan motors. Tests are periodically being conducted to
detect escaping gases during operation. Currently only CO has been detected, suggesting a
capture of all other pollutants of interest to the study including CO2.
127
Oral Abstracts D
Oral Session D1
2:10–3:10 PM
Key: Time, Title of Project, Student Presenter, (Mentor), School, Session, Room
Fine Arts
Moderator: Angela Banchero-Kelleher, Utah Valley University
Converse 202
2:10–2:25 pm
Trisha Brown’s Homemade: A Reflection of Postmodern America
Rebecca Diane Stott (Angela Banchero-Kelleher), Utah Valley University
Oral Session D1, Converse 202
America’s metamorphosis in the 1960s reflected the shift in society’s jaundiced view
during the Vietnam and Cold war, to a philosophical realization in finding individuality.
Society’s revolt against previous restraints was reflected in the formation of a counterculture that had determined their government no longer represented them. Rather, they
felt that individuals had the freedom to make interpretations of important events and
issues and come to their own conclusions. As a reflection of individualism, modern dance
revolutionized existing dance forms. “Postmodern dance”, labeled by choreographer
Yvonne Rainer, sought to answer questions such as: What is dance? Who can dance? Why
do we dance? Avante garde choreographer, Trisha Brown, explored these questions and
others through her humanistic approach and sense of understanding of the individual in
her piece, Homemade. This research will not only display the effect that culture has on
dance, but more importantly, the ability that dance has to affect culture. A retrospective
look at the political and social changes in the 1960s and Homemade allows a conclusion
to be made about their interrelation. Through a comparison between Trisha Brown’s
choreography Homemade and a defiant subculture a greater insight and understanding of
postmodern America in the 1960s will emerge.
This research will present through the study of journal articles, biographies, and newspaper
articles, a written analysis of Trisha Brown and Homemade, as well as forming a concise
comparison of the political and cultural changes in postmodern America in the 1960s.
Analyzing and interpreting Homemade through video and written documentation will
demonstrate the use of dance as a vehicle for social change as well as a reflection of culture.
128
Oral Session D1 2:10–3:10 PM
2:25–2:40 pm
A Subtler Vision: Berthe Morisot’s Images of Her Daughter Julie
Kalisha Roberts Jacobsen (Heather Belnap Jensen), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D1, Converse 202
Berthe Morisot was one of few women artists working with the Impressionists, and was
arguably the most celebrated. Only recently has adequate light been shed on women artists
working with the Impressionists and scholarship has not thoroughly explored their unique
contributions to the art world at this time. Berthe Morisot’s daughter Julie was the most
frequent model in many of her works, though little has been said on how these images of
her daughter contribute an intimate view of the life of motherhood and the growing roles
of women in nineteenth century France. Additionally, Morisot’s dual roles as both artist
and mother allow for a unique view of her intimate observations of her growing daughter.
Through examining Morisot’s works of Julie’s early years, along with her self portraits
in which Morisot often features her daughter, one can gain a broader understanding of
Morisot’s intimate artistic documentary and her role in Julie’s life. This paper contributes
to the continued need for closer examination of the artistic production of nineteenthcentury women artists, reinforcing their strength of representing a world so often
overlooked. Berthe Morisot specifically, contributes her “subtle visions” as a testament to
the goals and career of the most revered Woman Impressionist.
2:40–2:55 pm
To Live and Die in Dixie: Bob Dylan and the World Stage of Blackface Minstrelsy
Matthew A. Jonassaint (Jans Wager), Utah Valley University
Oral Session D1, Converse 202
The 2003 film Masked And Anonymous has an all-star cast, and marks a notable return to
the screen for American legend Bob Dylan. However, the film was largely unsuccessful; the
majority of critics and audiences were more baffled with than enamored of the seemingly
cryptic screenwriting, stale performances, and directionless plot.
The film’s cultural landscape and Dylan’s history with black music, suggest a relationship
between authenticity in contemporary society and the American minstrel tradition. Early
in the film, Jack Fate (Dylan) performs an abridged acoustic version of the popular folk
song “Dixie.” The song’s roots in blackface minstrelsy resound clearly later in the film
during a brief, penultimate scene between Jack Fate and the ghost of Oscar Vogel (Ed
Harris), a blackface stage performer. The ghost’s conversation with Fate suggests a paradox
of blackface as both authenticity and illusion in a world where one’s entire life is measured
out in theatrics and performative roles. Fate’s performance of “Dixie,” a song with ties to
minstrelsy, helps lend an archetypical voice to this paradox.
A close reading of the film itself, the director’s commentary track on the DVD, a 2002
Barry Shank essay, “That Wild Mercury Sound: Bob Dylan And the Illusion of American
Culture,” and some readings of blackface in American cultural history indicate that not
only is Masked And Anonymous far from the “vanity production” as some critics initially
suggested, but it offers much critique on the contemporary use of blackface minstrelsy
employed by members of society to establish both illusory societal roles and also authentic
cultural identity.
129
Oral Session D1 2:10–3:10 PM
2:55–3:10 pm
Sou Da Bahia/I’m From Bahia: Seeking Truth and Minimizing Colonialist Representations in
Documentary Film
J. Christian Jensen (Vanessa Fitzgibbon), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D1, Converse 202
Film theorist and practitioner Michael Rabiger reminds us in Directing the Documentary
that “the history of [documentary] and its handmaiden, colonialism, shows how the
beliefs of those holding power tend to insulate them from grassroots reality and produce
action that is neither moral nor just.” Shot in Bahia, Brazil over the course of five weeks,
Sou da Bahia, roots itself in the observational cinema mode to record, reveal, and preserve
a diversity of artistic processes that speak to larger realities within the Bahian paradigm.
Part ethnography, part artistry, and part poetry, the film is a reflectant conversation
with charitable and quietly influential documentary films such as Suite Havana (2003),
Regen (1929), and Iraq in Fragments (2006). The filmmakers’ diligent efforts to separate
themselves from traditional colonialist bias lead them through an organic and at-times
guerilla process of film making. Accepting the fact that bias will always exist in every form
of cinema, it is left to the audience to decide how accurate a truth remains in the collision
of images and lyrical non-diegetic conversation. The film itself is an hour-long compilation
of five sequences, but this presentation will consist of screening one 10-12 minute
sequence entitled “Pipas/Kites” and a 3-5 minute reading that discusses the technique and
documentary modes used to create the film.
130
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session D2
2:10–3:10 PM
Business
Moderator: Joseph Price, Brigham Young University
Converse B1
2:10–2:25 pm
Venture Capital Strategy Formulation
Bradley Call Barth (Matthew Haber), University of Utah
Oral Session D2, Converse B1
Venture capitalists invested $29.4 billion in 3,813 deals in 2007. The desired return of a
venture capital investment is a return of five to ten times investment, within three to five
years. On average, only one in ten venture-funded companies delivers the desired return
to investors. If the heretofore rate of success remains consistent, $26.6 billion invested in
2007 will fail to achieve desired returns for investors.
In order to understand the causes of the low success rate in the venture capital industry,
I conducted research of the investment decision-making systems of five venture capital
funds. The decision of the venture capitalist to invest or not invest in a growth enterprise is
an implicit prediction of the eventual output of the target enterprise. In each of the funds
I researched, the venture capitalist uses a prediction mechanism called an investment
memorandum to formulate the investment decision. The investment memorandum is a
tangible consequence of due diligence—the research conducted to predict the value of an
investment.
My research yielded three logical flaws in the investment memorandum as a prediction
mechanism for venture capital investment decisions. The first flaw is that the mechanism
allocates equal value to conditions of disparate value, thereby misrepresenting the
cumulative value of a potential investment. The second flaw is that the mechanism
applies fallacious meaning to prima facie noncontributory conditions. The third flaw is
that the mechanism is structured as a prospectus, inherently overestimating merits and
underestimating risks.
My hypothesis is that the three logical flaws I uncovered in the investment memorandum
jointly constitute the primary cause of the low success rate of venture-funded growth
companies. My proposition is that fundamental adaptations in the investment
memorandum, in response to the flaws I uncovered, will significantly increase the rate of
success in the venture capital industry.
131
Oral Session D2 2:10–3:10 PM
2:25–2:40 pm
ishopsandy.com
Seth Dickison, Salt Lake Community College
Oral Session D2, Converse B1
Marketing Students from Salt Lake Community College partnered with the Sandy
Chamber of Commerce this summer to conduct a survey of local businesses about their
current advertising strategies and to see if they would be interested in becoming a member
of the ishopsandy.com advertising co-op that the chamber hopes to create later this year.
2:40–2:55 pm
Vietnam Entrepreneurship: Culture and Expertise
Thanh H. Nguyen (Kristie Seawright), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D2, Converse B1
The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report highlights the large variation in
participation in entrepreneurship in economies—from a low of 1.8 percent (Japan) to
a high of over 16 percent (Thailand/Peru) of the population. Various environmental
factors have been shown to impact the incidence of entrepreneurship. Culture is one
environmental factor that is expected to explain some of this variation. “Culture,”
according to Hofstede (1994), means “the collective programming of the mind which
distinguishes the members of one category of people from another” (p.5). Yet crosscultural entrepreneurship research to date tends to evaluate culture on a national mean
basis, disregarding the variation that exists within a culture group. If entrepreneurs exhibit
different culture characteristics than the national population, the average tendencies of
the population would not be appropriate measures to properly evaluate the “culture of
entrepreneurship” and the influence of culture on the incidence of entrepreneurship
within an economy.
Since the economic reform policy named “Đổi Mới” (renovation) was introduced in 1986
by the communist government of the Social Republic of Vietnam, free-market enterprises
have been permitted and, more recently, encouraged. According to McMillan (2002),
entrepreneurial activities have played an important role in Vietnam’s economic growth.
By creating jobs, providing consumer goods, coercing the market power of state-owned
firms, and establishing reform momentum, entrepreneurship has brought welfare gains
for this transition economy. A recent study by Gerrard (2003) suggests that Vietnamese
cultural values support entrepreneurial activity. The purpose of this research is to examine
cultural tendencies of entrepreneurs compared to a control group of non-entrepreneurial
managers.
132
Oral Session D2 2:10–3:10 PM
2:55–3:10 pm
How Do Local Opinion Leaders View the Proposed Affiliation Between Dixie State College and the
University of Utah?
Terri Draper (Dennis Wignall), Dixie State College
Oral Session D2, Converse B1
During the past year more than $500,000 of the state’s tax dollars have been invested
to explore the possibilities of creating a formal affiliation between Dixie State College
(DSC) and the University of Utah (U of U). Such an affiliation would permanently alter
academic excellence in Washington County, Utah. Prior to this study, no research had
been conducted to discover how local business owners and other community leaders view
this proposed change, and if business owners believe they will be positively or negatively
impacted by it. The methodology employed is a survey of business and community leaders
in attendance at the Washington County Economic Development Summit held January
14, 2009. All of the more than 600 attending opinion leaders were offered the opportunity
to participate and the majority completed the written tool. Analysis of the data revealed
types of four-year and post-graduate degrees valued by those surveyed; business owners’
commitment to helping fund part or all of certain types of employee education; level of
interest in a “mini MBA” program the U of U is considering making available at DSC, and
general perceptions of the affiliation. The results of this study should be a driving factor in
advancing related elements of this historic change, and a restricting factor where the data
indicates lack of support. In conclusion, this study will offer some direction/input from
the business community regarding the proposed affiliation between DSC and the U of U.
133
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session D3
2:10–3:10 PM
Literature
Moderator: Chris LeCluyse, Westminster College
Converse B18
2:10–2:25 pm
Beckett and Derrida: On the Margins of Philosophy/Literature
Brian J. D. Berry (Keith Johnson), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D3, Converse B18
My paper will analyze the interplay of ideas between Samuel Beckett, an Irish author who
wrote mostly in French, and Jacques Derrida, one of the most influential philosophers of
the past century. Both these thinkers sought new forms of thought/expression by drawing
from and then challenging their respective traditions (literature and philosophy). The
connection between those disciplines is partially what prompted the new forms. Beckett’s
literature reflects certain philosophical problems of his time, while Derrida’s philosophy is
distinctly poetic.
Beckett’s early interest in philosophy, especially the thought of René Descartes and
Immanuel Kant, led to his activity in the field of literary criticism, which participates more
in philosophic than literary discourse. At 23, Beckett wrote an article on Finnegan’s Wake
that centered on literature as being an object in itself instead of representing something
else. In his later thought, as manifest in a famous letter written in 1937, Beckett’s focus
shifts to an ideal of literature that represents nothing. This psuedo-nihilistic approach to
literature bears obvious relevance to Derrida’s deconstruction.
In an interview with Derrida, Derek Attridge asks him why he never wrote about Beckett,
to which he responded that he felt too close to him. Although he does not directly
write about Beckett, Derrida does write about many authors who share Beckett’s literary
ideology. I plan to use these writings, particularly on Kafka and Blanchot, to analyze
Beckett’s literary approach.
Surprisingly, there is relatively little written on both Beckett and Derrida, although there
is much written on them independently. A notable exception is Asja Szafraniec’s Beckett,
Derrida, and the Event of Literature. Though I will draw from Szafraniec’s text, I will
mostly utilize primary sources from Beckett and Derrida.
134
Oral Session D3 2:10–3:10 PM
2:25–2:40 pm
Melaka Fray Finds a Shiny New Ax: Exploring Freedom within the Constraints of Pre-formed
Constructs
Elizabeth W. Christianson (Karin Anderson), Utah Valley University
Oral Session D3, Converse B18
Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer has long been a darling of pop culture criticism.
Then, in 2003, Whedon extended the Slayer saga, offering up the graphic novel, Fray,
set in a postmodern future with a new Slayer—nineteen-year-old Melaka. Melaka differs
from Buffy, and indeed from all the slayers who came before her, in one initially limiting
characteristic: she does not have the dreams. These dreams prepare and instruct a slayer for
the forthcoming days of mayhem and demon-spawn: they give the slayer her history—her
identification. The ancient Shamans “wrote” Melaka’s body, appropriating and imbuing it
with “the strongest and most dangerous magicks,” intending to use the First Slayer down
to Melaka for their own political purposes. The competing forces embroiled in Fray all
look to Melaka—reading her body as a vessel of power. And in turn, all wish to use her, as
Foucault argues: to “train” her, and “force [her] to carry [their] tasks.” Although her body’s
history seems scripted, her inability to access the Slayers’ dreams paradoxically allows
Melaka to separate herself from the constructs of the past. Thus, while keeping her power,
Melaka extricates herself from a preordained function; as Irigaray explains, she “looses
from its moorings.” Melaka finds a “shiny new ax”—a new power: the ability to write her
own history. Using Foucault and Irigaray, this essay explores the possibilities of freedom
within the constraints of pre-formed constructs. By re-appropriating her own supernatural
power, Melaka Fray becomes, simultaneously, what she was “made” to be and what she
chooses to be.
2:40–2:55 pm
Inventions of American Spies: Deconstructing Isolation and Phantom Idols in Jack Spicer’s The
Holy Grail
Ian T. Stephens (Georgiana Donavin), Westminster College
Oral Session D3, Converse B18
In his poetic narrative work The Holy Grail, Jack Spicer uses the Arthurian Legends as a
blank slate¬¬a backdrop both familiar and essential to the western societal consciousness.
In this setting, Spicer’s poetry finds itself caught in a deceiving opposition that sets the
individual against a force attempting to confine and subvert identity and agency. Spicer
employs this model to deconstruct Arthur and his knights, but more specifically, the effects
of their questing for the Holy Grail. In each of the poems written as an exploration of
an Arthurian character, the grail acts as a signifier of any normative social construct that
finds itself at odds with the discovery and creation of the self—especially that which is
defined through gender, sex, and love. I propose that Spicer uses this particular construct
to reveal enactments of community and self built on confining ideals as “phantom idols.”
Spicer’s narrative poems also reflect his personal literary philosophy that falsified societal
tenants, obscure the individual’s ability to achieve true “perception-as-love,” or to build a
135
Oral Session D3 2:10–3:10 PM
community able to achieve that end. His treatment of the Arthurian stories—particularly
Thomas Malory’s Noble Tale of the Sangreal, demonstrates that the achievement of a
commercialized goal results in a grail, as Spicer’s Galahad realizes, “as common as rats or
seaweed.
2:55–3:10 pm
A Lady in the Meads: Sources for Desire in Keats’ Belle Dame
Kirsten A. Gwin (Georgiana Donavin), Westminster College
Oral Session D3, Converse B18
John Keats, wandering aimlessly in the North of England around the turn of the
nineteenth century composed the ballad La Belle Dame Sans Merci after Alain Chartier’s
controversial fourteenth century piece of the same name. At once adding to the ancient
body of criticism surrounding Chartier’s poem and consciously “translating” the message
of the original into the modern age, Keats’ ballad stands as a unique piece in his body
of work. Utilizing the familiar topos of the faerie-lady, Keats re-imagines Chartier’s
woman of judgment as a woman of the other-world, fashioning the strong symbolic
woman of the early medieval era into the more readily understood image of subversion
and treachery that the faerie-lady represents. Chartier’s poem as well as the writings of
his contemporaries and predecessors serve to illustrate the rejected symbol; later courtly
literature addresses the transformation of that symbol into the charged character that Keats
eventually employs to communicate the Belle Dame and her knight’s wasting fate in the
context of his own England.
136
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session D4
2:10–3:10 PM
Environmental Sciences
Moderator: Jeffrey W. Bulger, Utah Valley University
Room: Gore 106
2:10–2:25 pm
Developing a Strategy to Integrate a Building Energy Monitoring System into the Science
Curriculum
Natasha Khan (Tricia D. Shepherd), Westminster College
Oral Session D4, Gore 106
In today’s society, there has become a need for energy alternatives. This calls for ingenuity
in car, building, and mechanical inventions to make them more energy efficient. The new
science center at Westminster College has gone beyond the standard building code and has
been designed as an energy efficient building. When the building is operational in spring
of 2010, there needs to be a way to successfully communicate how much energy is saved
and consumed by the building. The design of the building incorporates energy monitoring
of mechanical and electrical systems that will be accessed publicly via a website. This
project describes innovative ways to display this data such that 1) it communicates the
impact that building occupants have on the energy efficiency of the building and 2)
it can be effectively integrated into the science curriculum. Our hope is to influence
positive “green” behaviors by faculty, staff, and students to keep energy conservation at its
maximum.
2:25–2:40 pm
China’s Compliance with International Climate Change Treaties: What Does Changing Policy
Imply for Post-Kyoto Consensus?
Gloria Jean Gong (Zeng Ping), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D4, Gore 106
China’s rapid economic rise has been breathtaking. Increases in production coupled
with growing domestic consumption, however, are inseparably connected to increased
environmental degradation. Though China’s energy use is still relatively low per capita,
it has already surpassed the US as the world’s largest CO2 emitter. The Chinese Ministry
of Environmental Protection has also expressed concern about a wide range of other
environmental challenges including rising greenhouse gas emissions. Since China’s postMao opening to the West, the international community has also been deeply interested in
China’s willingness to comply with international standards. China has already ratified the
Kyoto and Montreal Protocols and other international climate change treaties, yet as the
international community looks beyond Kyoto, China’s willingness to adhere to binding
emissions standards remains a critical question.
137
Oral Session D4 2:10–3:10 PM
Existing economic and political science international treaty compliance models greatly
increase ability to measure China’s level of participation, but such models often ignore
China’s own official policies and stances toward such treaties. This study utilizes both
English and Chinese-language documents to analyze current Chinese climate change
policies, including the Eleventh Five-Year Plan and the Ministry of Environmental
Protection’s Framework on Climate Change. It also analyzes the incentive systems
of international climate change treaties that China has already ratified and how they
impact China’s willingness to participate. Finally, this study identifies and analyzes
recommendations made to China by organizations such as the World Trade Organization,
the UN Environment Programme, and the China Council for International Cooperation
on Environment and Development. By examining China’s current policies, international
treaty participation and recommendations, this study hopes to provide insight into China’s
climate change policy trajectory.
2:40–2:55
Caution: This Paper Is Composed Primarily of Soy—An Ethical Look at the Use of the Soybean in
America
Caitlin Anderson (Jeffrey W. Bulger), Utah Valley University
Oral Session D4, Gore 106
With the new trend towards health in the United States has come the increase of the use
of the soybean in many miscellaneous forms. While allowed to be advertised as a heart
healthy food since October 1999, what many people don’t know are the many harmful
effects the soybean has in its most common, unfermented form. It contains chemicals that
can block the digestion of protein, produce clots, block the uptake of vital minerals, cause
thyroid dysfunction, infertility, and the list goes on. With all of the negative side effects,
it calls into question the lack of information being presented to the general public by
organizations such as the FDA and whether they have a moral responsibility to the people
they serve to release such information.
This paper will use the moral approach of Principlism. Principlism focuses on the four
main principles of autonomy (self rule), beneficence (doing good), nonmaleficence
(causing no harm), and justice (an equal distribution of the burden). Each will be weighed
and balanced to decide whether or not morality has been compromised in regards to the
lack of information presented about soybeans.
138
Oral Session D4 2:10–3:10 PM
2:55–3:10 pm
What’s in Your Plastics? A Principlist Approach to Bisphenol A
C. Steven Broadbent (Jeffrey W. Bulger), Utah Valley University
Oral Session D4, Gore 106
Bisphenol A, or BPA, is used in public water supply lines, household appliances, DVDs,
sun glasses and mobile phones, but it’s also found in Tupperware, reusable water bottles
(like Nalgene), “sippy cups,” and baby bottles. It’s the latter category that has propelled
bisphenol A out of research laboratories and into the public spotlight.
Over the last 5 years, hundreds of independent studies have questioned the potential
harm of bisphenol A—especially concerning infants and young children—which has led
to a recent frenzy of government studies throughout the world. In the United States alone,
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Toxicology Program (NTP), and
American Chemistry Council (ACC) have admitted bisphenol A is harmful to laboratory
mammals causing adverse effects ranging from cancer to neurological diseases due to its
endocrine disrupting effects. Though these institutions maintain that effects on humans—
based on extrapolating the research, which used laboratory mammals as subjects of
exposure—are unclear and insufficient to place any serious restrictions on bisphenol A.
However, this very same research was enough for Health Canada to place a ban on the
importing, manufacture, and sale of all baby products containing bisphenol A in Canada.
Emphasizing a practical approach to the ethical analysis of bisphenol A, Principlism can
be very useful. Principlism utilizes the general values of beneficence, nonmaleficence,
autonomy, and justice to specify and balance these common ground principles and
provide a moral structure most individuals and societies would agree upon. Through
Principlism the ethical implications of bisphenol A will be practically established
and grounded in a moral framework independent of diverse epistemic origins and
justifications.
139
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session D5
2:10–3:10 PM
Computer Science
Moderator: Richard Wellman, Westminster College
Gore 107
2:10–2:25 pm
GNUMAP: A Highly Accurate Method for Assembling Short Reads to a Reference Genome
Nathan L. Clement (Quinn Snell), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D5, Gore 107
One of the greatest advances in DNA sequencing technology—occurring just in the past
decade—has been the advent of so-called “Next-Generation sequencing machines.” Nextgeneration sequences machines, with the capability of combining miniaturization and
enormous computational power, have entirely revolutionized the way genetic projects
have been performed. Projects requiring the sequence of larger genomes (such as that of
the human) that were previously deemed improbably—if not impossible—have become
a reality. Using this current technology, in only a week the entire human genome can be
sequenced—a procedure that took nearly five years in 2001. However, the new methods do
not come without difficulties. Because many of these machines (especially one designed
by Solexa/Illumina) produce short, 25-50 bp sequences, different computational methods
are required to analyze the data. Many programs currently available for sequence analysis
are capable of quickly mapping thousands of these short sequences to a genome. However,
we have created a program called GNUMAP, designed to allow for the alignment of
tens of millions of sequences to several genomes. In addition, many current programs
are designed for speed but often discard up to half the reads and lose a great amount of
accuracy. Algorithms implemented in GNUMAP will overcome these barriers, allowing
for an accurate, time-efficient, and user-friendly mapping of sequences to a given genome,
proving more information from less data, thus allowing the researcher to draw more
conclusions from more experiments.
2:25–2:40 pm
Is There Antitrust Inside Intel? Looking Into the Allegations Against the Premier Chip Maker
Daniel Fletcher (Robert Couch), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D5, Gore 107
For many years, Intel has dominated the Central Processing Unit (CPU) industry. This
thesis briefly explores the successful history of the Intel Corporation and some of the
ways it has achieved its success. One method of Intel’s success has received little to no
commentary and remains below the surface: its legal prowess.
This paper examines many of Intel’s historic legal battles with other electronics firms and
discusses whether Intel has a long history of anti-competitive behavior. Many lawsuits have
140
Oral Session D5 2:10–3:10 PM
been filed against Intel by its underdog rival and perpetual market follower, AMD.
On top of its numerous lawsuits, Intel, like its longtime business partner, Microsoft, has
been the subject of countless government allegations, fines, and accusations. Although
often accused of anti-competitive behavior, Intel has not acted inappropriately and should
not be fined or penalized by the United States government.
2:40–2:55 pm
Increasing Student Awareness Through Digital Signage
Julie Hinton (Dennis Wignall), Dixie State College
Oral Session D5, Gore 107
In large organizations, it can be difficult to express information in a way that the entire
organization can understand. Organization members do not always actively search out
data but rather need it brought to them to reduce the level of uncertainty and equivocality.
By implementing a better way to communicate though technological advances a more
efficient form of communication can evolve in organizations enabling information to flow
more timely and efficiently.
A new wave of technological communication is digital signage. These are flat screen LCD
televisions hung in various places to communicate information. This study demonstrates
the effectiveness that digital signage has on the Dixie State College campus by researching
student awareness before and after digital signs are installed. The outcome is measured
with a pre/post testing design using interval data surveys to measure any increases in the
amount of awareness due to this new type of advertising systems.
Michael Antecol (1999) has stated that the television is the ultimate in electronic
progress because more people have access to televisions than computers. By effectively
implementing televised media using digital signage greater awareness and greater attention
to information from activities on campus to emergency awareness systems will be better
communicated. This will help close the gap between students and administration as
administrators try to communicate.
2:55–3:10 pm
Wireless Control of an Embedded System with an Interactive Web Application
Jeremy P. Clegg (Afsaneh Minaie), Utah Valley University
Oral Session D5, Gore 107
Embedded Systems are an important component of technology today. The development
of interactive systems for embedded devices is one reason for their prominence. In the
Computer Science Department at Utah Valley University, a senior design project has
been completed in the area of embedded systems. This particular senior design project
shows that a web application can be designed to control an embedded system through
wireless communication. To complete this project, there were three main goals. The first
goal was to build a servo controlled bipedal robot capable of walking. The robot chosen
for this project was the Lynxmotion Brat. In order to control the servos that enable the
141
Oral Session D5 2:10–3:10 PM
robot to walk, the SSC-32 microcontroller was used. The second goal of this project was
to establish wireless communication between the Brat robot and another previously
constructed Lynxmotion Scout robot. It was researched that the DEMO9S12XDT512
microcontroller, obtained from Freescale Semiconductor, would be used to control
the Scout robot instead of the SSC-32. In order to achieve wireless communication
between the two robots, research was conducted to determine a capable device. It was
determined that the BlueSmirf, obtained from SparkFun Electronics, would be used in this
project. The BlueSmirf is a device that uses the Bluetooth wireless protocol to establish
communication. The third goal of this project was to develop a web application capable of
controlling the two robots. The web application was developed using a PHP script that is
hosted on a WAMP (Windows Apache MySQL PHP) server. By completing the three goals
of the project it has been shown that an embedded device can be controlled by a wireless
device with an interactive web application.
142
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session D6
2:10–3:10 PM
Biology
Moderator: Curt Walker, Dixie State College
Gore 108
2:10–2:25 pm
Characterization of the Structure and Composition of the Rat Sciatic Nerve
Kylee Fotheringham and M. Ben Christensen (Patrick A. Tresco), University of Utah
Oral Session D6, Gore 108
In order to assess the effectiveness of nerve regenerative technologies or the
biocompatibility of implanted electrodes in the peripheral nervous system,
histopathological studies of regenerating or implanted nervous tissue need to be
conducted post implantation. These studies should be aimed at determining the effects
on the nerve by measuring morphometric parameters such as fascicle areas, fiber counts,
fiber areas, and fiber diameter and g-ratio (ratio of axon diameter to total fiber diameter)
distributions. Many studies have used rat animal models with the contralateral (nonimplanted) nerve serving as a control. However, literature on the viability of using
the contralateral nerve as a control for sciatic nerve experiments, as well as normal
rat sciatic nerve structure and composition, is incomplete. We therefore examined the
nerve composition and organization in normal, unimplanted rats and use that data do
determine the viability of using the contralateral nerve as an internal control. To this end,
five male Fisher 344 rats (225-250g) were sacrificed via transcardial perfusion with PBS.
The left and right sciatic nerves were dissected free, post-fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde/2%
glutaraldehyde, dehydrated, and embedded in an epoxy resin. Nerves were thin-sectioned
to 0.7μm, stained with Thionin and Acridine Orange, and imaged at high magnification
(1000x). Morphometric parameters were compared between the left and right sciatic nerve
using a standard paired t-test with P-values less than 0.05 considered significant. Results
showed no statistical difference between the right and left sciatic nerve of the rats for any
parameter measured, suggesting that the contralateral nerve might be able to serve as a
control for future experiments. Base line normal values for the structure and composition
of a rat sciatic nerve were also established.
2:25–2:40 pm
Assessing the Effects of Primer Specificity on Eliminating Numt Contamination in DNA Barcoding
Matthew J. Moulton and Hojun Song (Michael F. Whiting), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D6, Gore 108
DNA barcoding has been proposed as a method of identifying, delimiting, and describing
all species in the biological world based on a short mitochondrial DNA fragment.
However, many researchers have shown that barcoding has its limitations. This has proven
143
Oral Session D6 2:10–3:10 PM
to be especially true among insects within the order Orthoptera (grasshoppers, locusts,
katydids, wetas, and crickets). Many orthopteran insects are known to have nuclear
mitochondrial pseudogenes (numts) that are nonfunctional copies of mitochondrial DNA
in the nucleus. Numts can be coamplified with the true (orthologous) mitochondrial
DNA when using conserved, universal primers. This coamplification can lead to incorrect
identification of an organism and an overestimation of the number of extant species. Some
researchers have suggested that utilizing more specific primers in PCR reactions can reduce
or eliminate coamplification of numts and allow for direct sequencing of orthologous
mitochondrial DNA. However, no studies have been performed to test this hypothesis.
We present the analyses of data obtained from cloned sequences generated from PCR
reactions using three sets of primers of varying specificity (Folmer primers, Orthopteraspecific primers, and species-specific primers) and 1) identify the number of numts
within four divergent lineages of the insect order Orthoptera and 2) assess the effects of
using more specific primers on eliminating numt contamination in these lineages. Initial
findings suggest that the hypothesis that more specific primers decreases the amount of
numt coamplification is not necessarily true. We suggest that further studies need to be
performed using methods to isolate mitochondrial DNA during extraction or to use longer
primers in conjunction with higher annealing temperatures during PCR in order to further
assess the elimination of coamplification of numts.
2:40–2:55 pm
Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarki) Phylogeny
Kenny Eyring, Jason Mathis, and Spencer Moon (Dennis Shiozawa and R. Paul Evans),
Brigham Young University
Oral Session D6, Gore 108
Cutthroat trout subspecies are native to the western United States but are threatened,
endangered, and of concern. Conservation efforts require identification and genetic
monitoring of remnant pure populations. Mitochondrial and nuclear markers have been
used to differentiate between the subspecies, identify hybridization, and to construct
a cutthroat trout phylogeny. Utilization of an intronic region (intron 1 and 2; ~670nt)
within the S7 gene has shown the potential to more precisely characterize subspecies and
species within populations. The polymorphisms we identified in the cutthroat trout S7
intron region increase the genetic resolution of cutthroat trout subspecies and populations.
The S7 sequence data was combined with mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences to
establish a current phylogeny of cutthroat trout.
144
Oral Session D6 2:10–3:10 PM
2:55–3:10 pm
Ontogeny of Shape Differentiation in Contrasting Environments
Elizabeth Hassell (Mark Belk), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D6, Gore 108
This study compares the developmental morphology of two population types of the livebearing fish Brachyraphis rhabdophora. The shape of fish taken from environments with
piscine predators was compared with the shape of fish from predator-free environments.
Ontogenetic morphology, the change in shape over an organism’s lifetime, was assessed by
measuring several age classes of fish. We hypothesized that B. rhabdophora populations
differ in shape according to predator presence and that these differences are integrated
throughout the organism’s lifetime. Populations that exist with predators are composed
of individuals that are more streamlined. How these morphological differences are
achieved can be better understood by analyzing the magnitude, direction, and shape of
the trajectory of lifetime morphologic change. In this case, Procrustes trajectory analysis
provides a clearer picture of how populations change in response to predation.
145
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session D7
2:10–3:10 PM
Botany
Moderator: Nicole Okazaki, Weber State University
Gore 205
2:10–2:25 pm
Developmental Influences on Aspen Defense Chemistry
Eric Austin Smith (Samuel B. St. Clair), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D7 Gore 205
This study was done to increase awareness and knowledge of aspen dieback by studying
age related changes in physiological function of Quaking Aspen clones. Aspen decline
has been observed throughout the continent of North America. Two of the factors that
are viewed to be a cause of this dieback are pathogens and herbivory. Relatively little is
known about the effects of developmental processes (ontogeny) on the physiological
function of aspen. We are studying defense chemistry through tannins and phenolic
glycosides which have been shown to be important in the defense of trembling aspen
against animal herbivores. We are trying to understand how the physiological function
and allocation of resources of aspen is altered over the various stages of the aspen life
cycle. Leaf samples were collected from 8 clones at 8 field sites. Samples show a trend that
aspen physiology decreases with age. The results expected are that as aspen get older they
decline in their ability to fix carbon and defend themselves against herbivory. Because
of this our hypothesis was that aspen regeneration growth will have higher amounts of
defense chemistry in the leaves than older trees. They will have more tannins and phenolic
glycosides to reduce herbivory so the tree can survive above the browse line. As the tree
reaches above the herbivore browse line defense chemistry will not be as important
because complete defoliation by animal herbivory is less probable. The data presented will
be the tannin and phenolic glycosides analysis of this ontogeny study.
2:25–2:40 pm
Clonal Regeneration Is Prevalent in Utah Aspen
Sean B. Collette (Mikel R. Stevens and Samuel B. St. Clair), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D7, Gore 205
Quaking aspen can reproduce sexually and asexually (clonal regeneration). Sexual
reproduction increases genetic variation within a community and is critical in population
fitness. Clonal regeneration involves sprouting new stems from a preexisting root
system which can expand a clone across hundreds of acres. We hypothesized that Utah
aspen reproduce sexually more commonly than previously thought. We sampled eight
different age classes from four sites in both Uinta and Fish Lake National Forests and
analyzed genetic regions which tend to change in sexual reproduction but not in clonal
146
Oral Session D7 2:10–3:10 PM
regeneration. We conclude that clonal regeneration has been the dominant method of
aspen propagation in Utah for several decades and that sexual reproduction is slight.
Environmental factors that predispose aspen to propagate clonally need to be better
understood and land management policies should be reviewed and adjusted to promote
greater sexual reproduction and greater aspen fitness.
2:40–2:55 pm
Simple Sequence Repeat DNA Analysis of Eight Utah Aspen Stands
Tom Boynton (Samuel B. St. Clair and Mikel R. Stevens), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D7, Gore 205
Because of their ability to reproduce asexually (clonal regeneration) and sexually, genetic
analysis contributes to understanding the reproductive strategies of Utah aspen stands. This
study was completed with a microsatellite analysis of 191Utah aspen from eight stands:
four in Fish Lake National Forest, and four in Uintah National Forest. After samples were
collected based on phenotypic characters and age class, the DNA was extracted and amplified
with the polymerase chain reaction and electrophoresis trials. Conclusively, slight variation
related to aspen age class may be seen in the DNA concentrations, and, most importantly,
microsatellites have successfully identified individuals within stands to be genetically
identical. These findings suggest large aspen stands have primarily reproduced asexually,
while sexual reproduction has occurred less frequently throughout these in Utah forests. The
environmental factors that favor sexual or asexual reproduction require further study.
2:55–3:10 pm
Light Resource Significantly Influences Induction of Aspen Defense Chemistry
Steven D. Monson (Samuel B. St.Clair), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D7, Gore 205
Research has shown an inverse relationship between the concentration of secondary defense
chemicals contained within the leaves of the aspen and insect larvae growth rates. The
objective of this study is to study the effects of variable light resource and soil conditions on
the induction of herbivore-deterring defense chemicals and general physiology in Aspen.
We hypothesized that there is a significant correlation between the aspen’s ability to induce
the production of secondary defense chemicals and the availability of light resource as well
as the type of soil that it is growing in. Expanding our understanding of leaf chemistry traits
and its influences will contribute to developing factors leading to the current dieback of
aspen in its western range. We exposed aspen seedlings to high and low light conditions as
well as two soil conditions. Controlled light exposure was accomplished by use of a special
shade fabric which effectively simulated light intensity after diffusion through an aspen
stand canopy (high light conditions) as well as a conifer canopy (low light conditions). Soil
conditions were tested by growing seedlings in soil found within an aspen stand, as well
as soil found within a site predominately occupied by conifer trees. Leaves were collected
and secondary defense compounds were extracted and quantified. Data collected shows a
significant increase in defense compound concentrations in high light conditions in both
aspen and conifer soils. This leads us to believe that higher light levels, as opposed to soil
conditions, induce defense chemistry in regenerating aspen.
147
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session D8
2:10–3:10 PM
Health Sciences/Diseases
Moderator: Jason V. Slack, Utah Valley University
Gore 206
2:10–2:25 pm
Mechanisms of Resistance for Streptococcus Pyogenes in Northern Utah
Ryan A. Rowe and Ryan M. Stephenson (Scott Wright), Weber State University
Oral Session D8, Gore 206
Streptococcus pyogenes has demonstrated two main mechanisms of resistance against
macrolides. First, efflux allows the bacterium to pump the antimicrobial out of the cell.
Second, ribosomal modification renders that antimicrobial ineffective. These mechanisms
are associated with the genes mefA, ermA, and ermB respectively. This study evaluated the
mechanisms of resistance prevalent in the Northern Utah area. Throat swabs were collected
from ten clinics after they were confirmed to be positive for S. pyogenes by the clinic from
which the swabs were collected. The swabs were cultured on plating media and S. pyogenes
was identified based on diagnostic criteria commonly used in clinical laboratories.
Antimicrobial susceptibility to erythromycin and penicillin was conducted using the KirbyBauer procedure. Of the 739 isolates tested, 2.4% were resistant to erythromycin with no
resistance observed to penicillin. The erythromycin resistant strains were then separated
into three classes based on phenotypic reactions using the clindamycin disk induction test.
Each phenotypic group was then analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to confirm
the presence of the suspect gene. The gene frequencies observed were as follows: 48.1%
mefA, 26.0% ermA, 3.7% ermB, and 22.2% showed multiple genes.
2:25–2:40 pm
Nuclear Trafficking of BCR-ABL Using SV40 NLS
Blake C. Paullin (Carol S. Lim), University of Utah
Oral Session D8, Gore 206
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) is a hematopoietic stem cell disease producing
abnormally high levels of white blood cells. A translocation between chromosomes 9 and
22, known as the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph 1), leads to the formation of the BCRABL fusion gene, which codes for the chimerical BCR-ABL oncoprotein. This BCR-ABL
protein results in inappropriate tyrosine kinase activity, inducing proliferative pathways
while suppressing apoptotic control.
Dr. Jean Wang found that nuclear entrapment of the BCR-ABL protein using the drugs
Gleevec (tyrosine kinase inhibitor and most commonly used CML therapeutic) and
leptomycin B (inhibits nuclear export) causes apoptosis, selectively, in cell populations
containing the BCR-ABL protein. Leptomycin B however, is neurotoxic and therefore
148
Oral Session D8 2:10–3:10 PM
cannot be used clinically. Dr. Carol Lim is currently developing a novel form of gene
therapy that exploits the over-activity of BCR-ABL to induce apoptosis by controlling the
compartmentalization of the BCR-ABL protein via a “protein-switch,” and directing the
endogenous BCR-ABL to the nucleus. However, one challenge of nuclear localization of
the BCR-ABL protein is that it binds with actin, present in the cytoplasm.
The strongest known Nuclear Localization Signal (NLS), SV40, will be fused onto full
length BCR-ABL protein, attempting to overcome the effects of actin binding. An NLS
consists of a coded amino acid signal found on a protein which signals the protein to be
imported into the nucleus. Nuclear trafficking of the BCR-ABL protein should result in
apoptosis as demonstrated by Dr. Wang. This experiment should conclusively determine
whether or not the purported actin binding can be sufficiently overcome using SV40 NLS
rather than drugs such as LMB, subsequently leading to the induction of apoptosis and
ultimately leading to more effective treatment for patients with CML.
2:40–2:55 pm
Characterization of a Novel Antimicrobial Peptide, Defensin, and Its Actions Against the
Causative Agent of Bubonic Plague, Yersinia pestis
Kody L. Johnson (David Erickson), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D8, Gore 206
Bubonic plague still exists in natural rodent cycles of infection that regularly spill into
human populations and has potential threat as a bioterrorism agent. Yersinia pestis is
the causative agent of the plague and must successfully infect fleas (such as the rat flea
Xenopsylla cheopis) to be subsequently transmitted to mammals. Fleas are tolerant to
high numbers of the bacteria, yet the infection is restricted to specific flea tissues including
the midgut and the proventriculus. Thus, the flea’s immune system apparently limits the
numbers and location of the bacteria. We are interested in how fleas respond to Y. pestis
infection in terms of altered gene expression. We have identified a gene that is predicted to
be part of the defensin family of antimicrobial peptides. We have shown that fleas produce
large quantities of defensin when Y. pestis bacteria are present in parts of the body outside
of the normal infection route (in the hemocoel or body cavity). We have cloned this gene
into expression vectors to produce recombinant defensin protein so that we can determine
its activity against Y. pestis. Defensin and other similar antimicrobial peptides may play a
part in the regulation of Y. pestis colonization of the flea.
2:55–3:10 pm
Improving Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Protocol
Anna Testa (Sherri Tesseyman), Westminster College
Oral Session D8, Gore 206
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a life-threatening pathogen. Not
only does it colonize healthy individuals, but infection with MRSA increases the mortality
149
Oral Session D8 2:10–3:10 PM
and morbidity of the sickest clients within the health care system. Currently, clients with
MRSA infections are treated with standard precautions, which include hand hygiene and
contact isolation, after their infection is identified by passive measures, such as overt
illness. Current research suggests that by adopting the MRSA Bundle, a rigorous program
which consists of active surveillance (i.e. nasal swabbing), aggressive hand hygiene
practices, strict contact precautions and cultural transformation, the incidence of MRSA
infections can be reduced and client mortality and morbidity will be improved. In order to
evaluate the current practice for MRSA prevention and treatment as compared to the MRSA
Bundle we reviewed four studies and one meta-analysis, which surveyed forty-six studies.
The results of these studies suggest that by implementing the MRSA Bundle healthcare
workers and facilities can significantly reduce MRSA infections. These studies detail the
necessity for more aggressive surveillance and treatment of clients who are colonized and
infected with MRSA.
150
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session D9
2:10–3:10 PM
Political Science
Moderator: Gae Lyn Anderson, Utah Valley University
Gore 228
2:10–2:25 pm
Public Opinion and Rhetoric: Causes and Symptoms of the Mormon Identity Shift
Justin M. Larsen (Gae Lyn Henderson), Utah Valley University
Oral Session D9, Gore 228
Within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), a counterproductive
mechanism is growing. When defending and reinforcing its orthodoxy by opposing
perceived secular threats, a church sets itself ideologically aloof from its neighbors.
Recently, this operation has been made public by the LDS church’s support of California’s
Proposition 8, and similar events, inciting public disapproval. This is especially
problematic considering the church’s preoccupation with maintaining popular acceptance
and the illusion of mainstream palatability. This problem is further frustrated for the
church by resources such as internet communities, forums, and blogs that provide the
public with a-click-away information about its more radical beliefs, reasons for member
disaffiliation, and doctrinally-based, political agendas. Sociological researchers Gary
and Gordon Shepherd found that the church assumes a more radical, exclusionist
rhetorical posture and identity in resistance to unpopularity. I will use studies like theirs
to investigate LDS rhetoric from a variety of sources (recent addresses, public statements,
and pertinent doctrine) and determine the extensiveness of the LDS drift from its former
popularity. Using works such as George Orwell’s essay, “Politics and the English Language,”
and Donald Lazere’s Reading and Writing for Civic Literacy: The Critical Citizen’s Guide to
Argumentative Rhetoric I will further examine the implications of LDS rhetorical strategies.
“The dynamics that repeatedly led to exclusion and violence in the American past could
well be reproduced,” writes church historian, Steven C. Harper, expressing the volatility
and precariousness of the church’s balancing act. The finale of that act may be exclusion,
self-exclusion, or a shift in orthodoxy for the church.
2:25–2:40 pm
Is This Racial Freedom? Student Perceptions of the Civil Rights Movement at Brigham Young
University
Ardis K. Smith (Rebecca de Schweinitz), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D9, Gore 228
The civil rights movement was a highly significant and influential epoch in American
history. Articles in the Brigham Young University student newspaper, The Daily Universe,
during the 1950s and the 1960s show that the issue of the Civil Rights movement was a
151
Oral Session D9 2:10–3:10 PM
complex topic that students struggled to assimilate in terms of their social, political, and
religious constructs. My project has a three-fold purpose that is both micro and macro
in scope: first, to see how BYU’s student newspaper discussed the civil rights movement;
second, to analyze the articles in terms of LDS church teachings and perceptions of racial
issues; third, to broaden the currently limited historiography on the civil rights movement
and its interplay with both religious and Western US history. This focus of research will
elevate historical understanding of how ideas about race shifted in LDS culture as young
Mormons gained a greater awareness of civil rights issues. In addition, as the civil rights
movement is usually studied in terms of the southern and eastern parts of the United
States, and considering that very few scholars have included the West from the historical
narrative of this era, the scholarship on the civil rights movement in the West remains
limited. Through my presentation, I will expand the historiography on race in Utah, the
LDS church, and the West as I discuss student perceptions of the civil rights movement in
The Daily Universe and analyze the larger implications on a local and regional scale of such
perceptions.
2:40–2:55 pm
Natural Rights Discourse in 1790s Denmark-Norway’s Free Press
Timothy Cotton Wright (Paul E. Kerry), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D9, Gore 228
Researchers at the University of Oslo are currently involved in a multi-year project to chart
the development of democracy in the late 18th and early 19th century Norway. Their goal
is to publish a comprehensive and in-depth series of studies that examine Enlightenment
influence and early nationalism in Norway by 2014—the 200th anniversary of Norway’s
1814 declaration of independence from the Danish monarchy and the establishment of
Norway’s first representative assembly.
Håkon Evju’s dissertation, I revolutionens skygge (“In the Shadow of the Revolution”
2008) focuses on the varying reactions to the revolution. He notes the overwhelming
consensus that a revolution was not necessary in Denmark-Norway, but rather a
continuance and expansion of the benevolent policies of Christian VII. He discusses a
standard ideal of the form the increasingly independent press and writers envisioned that
the monarchy should take to promote a free and enlightened society. Under the banner
of “civic freedom” the independent press sought to promote the freedom of the press,
freedom of the farmers, and a laissez-faire approach to national economic policy.
My research this summer in the Norwegian Royal Archives and the National Library gave
me access to Evju’s sources and my findings conclude an important methodology in his
formulation of these demands: they defined freedom in terms of the sovereign recognizing
and respecting the natural rights of his citizens. By appropriating the Enlightenment’s
discourse on natural rights, the free writers continued a process that began in Scandinavia
in the 1750’s to interpret the social contract in Rousseauean terms. I investigate natural
rights terminology in several political periodicals in 1790s Denmark-Norway to illuminate
just how the Enlightenment’s discourses were understood and appropriated in various
political and national contexts such as that of 1790s Denmark-Norway.
152
Oral Session D9 2:10–3:10 PM
2:55–3:10 pm
Understanding the Political Decisions of Utah Valley University Students
Becca Stewart, Amanda V. Dillehay, and Michael Goodwin (Grace Chou), Utah Valley
University
Oral Session D9, Gore 228
As student researchers at Utah Valley University, we were interested in exploring
the student population’s voting patterns in the 2008 presidential election with the
understanding that as college students, this is the first presidential election that many
students have participated in. Our research was thus focused on the voting patterns we
would hope to see in first time voters. In addition, our survey also intends to find out
whether those who voted had taken time before hand to understand and learn about
the issues. While conducting this study to find out which issues were most important to
the students at this particular university, we wanted to see which current issues were the
most likely to be deciding factors for students in the voting booths. Our goal was to find
information on the interest level and involvement of our college-student population. We
explored the different variables that may affect voting, such as age, gender, and economic
standing. It was our intent to find out how many Utah Valley University students voted this
year and the reasoning given by students who chose not to vote. We also explored whether
or not the students had studied the important issues of the election and whether or not the
candidate or the political party was more important to the voter. These variables gave us
insight into who votes, what influences their vote, and what brings them out to vote. We
believe that our data will answer the questions above.
153
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session D10
2:10–3:10 PM
Interdisciplinary: Health Sciences
Moderator: Rachel Smetanka, Southern Utah University
Gore B24
2:10–2:25 pm
Parents’ Perceptions of Pediatric Diabetes Management Clinics
Kalie Thornock (Barbara Mandleco), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D10, Gore B24
Purpose: To ascertain parents’ perceptions of Pediatric Diabetes Management Clinics
(PDMCs) and evaluate how clinics can improve services.
Research questions: What are parents’ perceptions of strengths/weaknesses of the PDMCs?
Do themes differ according to parent gender? What suggestions do parents have for
improving clinic services? Do the suggestions differ according to parent gender?
Methodology: Sixty-five sets of parents raising children/adolescents with Type 1 diabetes
who attended PDMCs completed an open ended questionnaire regarding the strengths/
weaknesses/suggestions for improving the clinic. Parents’ responses were then transcribed
verbatim and analyzed according to qualitative methodology. Quotes most accurately
representing the themes were then identified.
Findings: Responses to major strengths were similar: 40.9% of mothers and 33.3%
of fathers mentioned “perceptive care,” followed by “knowledge/education” (36.36%
mothers, 37% fathers) and “staff” (25% mothers, 33.3% fathers). Major weaknesses were
“accessibility” (31.82% mothers; 18.5% fathers). Other weaknesses were “staff” (9.1%
mothers, 11.11% fathers), “understanding” (14.8% fathers). For improvement suggestions
16% of mothers responded “increased communication” whereas fathers did not see this
as needing improvement. Conversely, 7.4% of fathers’ responses were coded as “increased
efficiency,” whereas mothers did not identify this as a suggestion. Finally, 11% of parent
responses were coded as “staff.”
Conclusion: PDMCs are successful in providing perceptive care, knowledge, and education
to their patients. The PDMC may want to improve accessibility and recognize the needs of
mothers related to communication and fathers related to efficiency. The interesting finding
that staff was a major strength, a major weakness, and mentioned as a suggestion for
improvement needs further exploration, indicates individual family perceptions, and calls
for delivering individualized care to families raising children with diabetes.
154
Oral Session D10 2:10–3:10 PM
2:25–2:40 pm
The Stigma of Mental Illness Concerning Emergency Responders
Catherine Rebekah Taylor (Les Chetelain), University of Utah
Oral Session D10, Gore B24
Education must be increased concerning recognition, treatment, and acceptance of mental
illness. There are more than 200 hundred classified forms of mental health conditions.
One out of five Americans will experience a mental disorder during their lifetime. Mental
illness is a feared medical condition because patient assessment involves elements of
uncertainty. Emergency responders need to eliminate bias, prejudice and stories, which
circulate about those deemed mentally ill, especially within the circles of medical
professionals.
Harm and injustice can surface when a patient bears the stigma of a mental illness. Due
to stigma many who have a mental illness do not divulge the fact that they are taking
psychotropic medications to an emergency responder. This lack of divulgence affects the
emergency care which is rendered to the patient confounding adequate treatment. There
is disparity in attitudes of emergency responders concerning the treatment of the mentally
ill vs. the physically ill. Most emergency responders do not receive adequate training in
learning to identify a mental illness.
With proper treatment, patients battling mental illness recover quickly, requiring hospital
care only for brief admissions. Discrimination and community misconceptions create
significant barriers to successful treatment of people afflicted with a mental illness.
People given a diagnosis of a mental illness lose their ability to actively participate in the
community and gain access to medical services due to unwarranted stigma. Untreated
mental illness creates a health dilemma which is rapidly growing. Mental illness is
surrounded by misunderstanding, fear, and insecurities. Stigma has a detrimental effect on
a person’s ability to obtain services, their recovery, and the type of treatment and support
they may receive. Emergency responders need more education and extensive training to
facilitate identification and treatment of mentally ill patients.
2:40–2:55 pm
Simulation in Nursing Education to Stimulate Critical Thinking
Katrina Duncan (Patricia Ravert), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D10, Gore B24
Purpose: As the present nursing shortage continues to escalate, adequate preparation of
new graduate nurses becomes increasingly important. In nursing education, classroom
learning is practiced and applied through simulation. It is hoped that information from
this study will provide greater enlightenment on how simulation can be used in nurse
education to improve critical thinking and clinical judgment which will better prepare new
registered nurse graduates.
Research Questions: What is the role of simulation in nursing education in diverse
programs?
How can simulation improve new registered nurse graduates’ critical thinking and clinical
judgment?
155
Oral Session D10 2:10–3:10 PM
Methodology: This was a descriptive qualitative research study. After IRB approval was
received, interviews were conducted to gather data in Utah and Ecuador. Study participants
included current nursing students and registered nurses. A semi-structured interview
guide containing six open-ended questions was developed to use in both locations. Data
was analyzed using descriptive categorization of data in which common themes and
perceptions of critical thinking and simulation were identified.
Findings: This study found that, in Ecuador, the simulation was not as advanced and
psychomotor skills were more commonly practiced than simulated scenarios. Overall,
participants perceived simulation as especially helpful to increase confidence levels for
performance in a clinical setting. Problem-based scenarios were preferred over practicing
strictly skills to develop critical thinking but experience with real patients in a clinical
setting was seen as the optimal learning environment.
Conclusions: Simulation prepares students for clinical settings through building
confidence and familiarity in a safe environment. Simulation is best utilized with the
highest possible fidelity and scenarios, but should be performed along with clinical
practice in order to develop optimal critical thinking and best prepare nurses.
2:55–3:10 pm
Safe Alternatives to Reduce Dental Patient Anxiety
Josh Carpenter, J.D Westphal, and Landon Beus (Rachel Smetanka), Southern Utah
University
Oral Session D10, Gore B24
Anxiety in dental patients is evident in nearly all dental clinics throughout the
world. There are many invasive treatments available to combat the severe anxiety
people experience when visiting the dentist, even for routine cleanings and checkups.
Pharmacological treatment options vary from nitrous oxide to anti-anxiety medications
such as Valium. These options can also include general anesthesia where patients are
unconscious. The purpose of the study was to find a non-invasive anxiety reducing
technique to help aid patient uneasiness during routine dental visits. Each patient was
given a hand warmer to hold during routine dental procedures. The hard warmer was
chosen to induce a calming affect for the patient, thus reducing their anxiety. Anxiety
was assessed using heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean
arterial pressure. These parameters were measured before and during the dental procedure.
The results of this project potentially provide dental patients a safe alternative to other
invasive and potentially harmful anxiety reducing techniques.
156
Oral Abstracts
Oral Session D11
2:10–3:10 PM
Health Sciences
Moderators: Megan Bunch, Utah State University; Jeffrey W. Bulger, Utah
Valley University; Sean Raleigh, Westminster College
Gore B25
2:10–2:25 pm
Cardiovascular and Metabolic Responses to Fasting in Lean and Obese Mice
Jason M. Tanner and Bum Jun Kim (J. David Symons), University of Utah
Oral Session D11, Gore B25
Our laboratory is interested in elucidating mechanisms responsible for vascular
dysfunction that exists in mice with diet-induced obesity. The methodology employed
requires overnight fasting. While the objective of fasting is to minimize physiological
responses to ingesting/digesting food, it is a stimulus that decreases heart rate (HR) and
blood pressure (BP). Originally we sought to determine whether fasting-induced HR and
BP reductions were similar in obese vs. lean mice. Mice with diet-induced obesity had
less (p<0.05) lean body mass, increased (p<0.05) fat mass, and elevated 24-h HR and
vs. lean controls (n=10). The severity of fasting-induced reductions (p<0.05) in HR and
BP was similar between groups, but decreases were observed earlier (p<0.05) in obese
animals. Current experiments are designed to determine the contribution from leptin and
metabolic rate to this observation. Specifically, we hypothesize that: 1) fasting-induced
reductions in metabolic rate are delayed, and 2) fasting serum leptin is elevated in obese
vs. lean mice. C57BL/6J mice (n=10/group) consumed high-fat (i.e., 45% fat) or standard
chow (i.e., 10% fat) for ~100 days. Blood was obtained via tail clip to assess leptin, and
mice were placed in metabolic chambers to assess physical activity, oxygen, food, and
water consumption, and carbon dioxide, heat, and urine production, for two 24-h periods
(FED), followed by a 16-h fast, after which blood was obtained to assess leptin (FAST).
All blood samples and metabolic chamber data have been collected and now are being
analyzed. Since obese mice begin the fast with a higher energy balance, we anticipate more
pronounced fasting-induced reductions of metabolic rate and serum leptin in lean vs.
obese mice.
2:25–2:40 pm
Craniosynostosis Treatment Recovery Analysis Using Postoperation CT Images
Aaron A. Hart (Chia-Chi Teng), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D11, Gore B25
Craniosynostosis is a medical condition which consists of the premature fusion of
one or more cranial sutures in the skull of a developing child, potentially resulting in
brain damage. Cranial vault expansion surgery is a common treatment to remedy this
157
Oral Session D11 2:10–3:10 PM
condition, but often results in full thickness cranial defects. If these defects exceed the
size of which the cranial skeleton may repair itself, surgical treatment is necessary to
protect the brain. The purpose of this study is to investigate which areas of the skull best
regenerate following cranial vault expansion surgery so as to optimize the effectiveness of
this treatment. CT scans from fifteen subjects who underwent this surgery are used in this
study. Each subject has two sets of CT scans, one taken immediately after the operation
and the other taken two years later. 3D skull surface models are extracted from each
CT image set, and then used to compute the defective area in the skull structures. For
each subject we will analyze the healing of the skull defects over the two year period as
indicated from the 3D surface models. The data collected from this study will be used to
improve the cranial vault expansion surgery techniques.
2:40–2:55 pm
America’s Ethanol Alternatives
Spencer A. Pearce (Danny Damron), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D11, Gore B25
Ethanol can become an economically viable fuel in the United States if is produced from
the proper feedstock and is supported by intelligent domestic policies. Currently, the U.S.
distills most of its ethanol from corn. Before it can be distilled into ethanol, the starch
in corn must first be broken down using high heat. This process is energy intensive and
expensive. The resulting corn ethanol possesses a net energy gain of only 1.8 times the
energy inputs and is more expensive than conventional petroleum fuels. Sugar-based
ethanol on the other hand exhibits a net energy gain of 6-8 times the total energy input.
Depending on production methods, sugar ethanol can also reduce total carbon emissions
over petroleum by more than 50%. Unfortunately, the U.S. has high sugar importation
tariffs. This keeps the price of domestic sugar high and discourages local producers
from using sugar for ethanol because they can make higher returns selling their crop as
table sugar. Gradually eliminating these tariffs would foster ethanol production from
both imported and domestic sugar. In the domestic market, sugar beets have overtaken
sugarcane as the major sugar crop due to markedly lower sugar beet refining costs. Sugar
beets are also viable in a larger number of climate zones. A shift in domestic sugar policy,
namely, the gradual elimination of import tariffs, would allow sugar prices to fall to the
point that domestic ethanol production would become economically viable. If ethanol
distilleries were co-located at cooperative sugar beet refineries, the low energy cost of
production would result in an alternative to petroleum that is both economically feasible
and environmentally friendly.
158
Oral Session D11 2:10–3:10 PM
2:55–3:10 pm
An Adaptive Bayesian Approach to Dose-response Modeling
Thomas J. Leininger (C. Shane Reese), Brigham Young University
Oral Session D11, Gore B25
Clinical drug trials are costly and time-consuming. Bayesian methods alleviate the
inefficiencies in the process while providing user-friendly probabilistic inference and
predictions from the sampled posterior distributions, saving resources, time and money.
We propose a dose-response model that incorporates Gaussian process priors for the mean
response at each dose level, borrowing strength across dose levels. Our model permits nonmonotonicity of the dose-response relationship, facilitating precise modeling of a wider
array of dose-response relationships (including the possibility of toxicity). In addition,
we incorporate an adaptive approach to the design of the clinical trial, which allows for
interim decisions and assignment to doses based on dose-response uncertainty and dose
efficacy. The interim decisions we consider are stopping early for both success and futility,
allowing for patient and time savings in the drug development process. These methods are
the future of adaptive clinical trial design.
159
AM Poster Abstracts
Key: Title of Project, Student Presenter, (Mentor), School, Poster Session, Easel
Number
A Structure Activity Relationship Study of C-6, a Novel Compound with Selective Activity Against
Breast Cancer Tumor Cells
Carol A. Bills (Matthew S. Sigman), University of Utah
AM Poster Session, Easel 1
Researchers have focused on improving cross-coupling reactions because of their
importance in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and natural products. The Sigman group
developed a unique method for Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, a reductive reaction
that has increased the number of possible products.
Keith Gligorich (Sigman group), using this reductive cross-coupling reaction, synthesized
C-6. In screens performed by the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) on several compounds,
C-6 preferentially killed tumor cells. In further studies, C-6 selectively destroyed tumor
cells over wild-type cells in human and mice basal cell lines and mouse ER+, ER- and
HER2+ breast cancer cell lines. Thus, C-6 could prove to be a new candidate for treating a
wider range of breast cancers as current treatments usually are only effective against one
cell line.
C-6’s activity in a variety of cell lines suggests it is targeting a specific protein in tumor
cell pathways. Additional support for this hypothesis was observed through a 3D matrigel
drug screening assay developed by Dr. Bryan Welm of the HCI. The assay showed the (d)enantiomer of C-6 is more active than the ( )-enantiomer.
These results led to structure activity relationship studies to identify C-6’s pharmacophore
structure, synthesize active analogs for target identification and in vivo studies and improve
its pharmacological properties. More derivatives will be synthesized to gain additional
information on C6’s unique mechanism of action.
The Role of the Dorsal Hippocampus in Object Recognition
Thomas Blakemore (Raymond P. Kesner), University of Utah
AM Poster Session, Easel 2
Recognition of a previously experienced object is split into two processes supported by
separate neurological structures: feature familiarity (supported by the lateral entorhinal
cortext) and context recollection (supported by the medial entorhinal cortex). A third,
distinct structure is believed to then integrate information from the lateral and medial
sections of the entorhinal cortex in encoding and retrieval in regards to object recognition.
My study, based on previous studies, hypothesizes the dorsal section of the hippocampus
as the integrating structure. To test this hypothesis I have created lesions to the dorsal
hippocampus of six rodents using ibotenic acid (this acid opens NMDA channels to
calcium which floods and destroys the brain cells) and performed one sham surgery as a
control. After a recovery period (one week), I ran the rodents through two separate tasks
designed to test their capability in regards to feature familiarity, context recollection, and
integration of the two.
160
AM Poster Abstracts
Blind v. Color Blind: The Injustice of State Felon Disenfranchisement Schemes
Lauren N. Carpenter (Daniel Levin), University of Utah
AM Poster Session, Easel 3
State policies which disenfranchise ex-felons, those who have served their complete
sentences, have a long history. While “civil death” was a common punishment for convicts
in Europe prior to the colonization of North America, ex-felon disenfranchisement statutes
were incorporated into several states, primarily in the southern United States, after the
Civil War. There is substantial evidence to suggest that these statutes were created in order
to disproportionately affect racial minorities. These desired effects can still be seen today.
Racial minorities in the United States, primarily African Americans, are incarcerated at a
much higher rate than their white peers. Once convicted, these persons are often subject
to disenfranchisement. Because of the racial disparities in conviction and incarceration,
minority communities are often left without a voice in the electoral process. Under the
Voting Rights Act, as amended in 1982, any voting qualifications established by a state that
result in disproportionate disadvantages for minorities are illegal. African American voters,
who consistently vote for Democratic candidates 90 percent of the time, are suffering from
vote dilution due to felon disenfranchisement. Additionally, precedent suggests that courts
analyzing such state statutes should consider a totality of circumstances, including the
historical reasons for enactment and other harms suffered by the community. Because of
this, and the propensity for African Americans to vote as a bloc, ex-felon disenfranchisement
schemes are illegal.
Concentration and pH Dependent Photoemission from Fluoresceini in Cap Nanoshells
Kyu B. Han (Agnes Ostafin), University of Utah
AM Poster Session, Easel 4
The objectives of this project were to study the photoemission of fluorescein dye in
calcium phosphate (CaP) nanoshells as a function of encapsulated concentration, total
concentration, and pH. Nanoparticles capable of light-stimulated photo emission can be
used for in vitro cell measurements of pH, and other bio-analytes, which may change when
cells are affected by diseases like cancer or have been exposed to environmental toxins.
Current strategies employing soluble dyes have poor lifetime and sensitivity, are subject to
chemical degradation, and may release photo-oxidants which can harm cells. To overcome
this problem, we designed a nanoshell carrier consisting of a phosphate dye chorine
liposome reinforced by a thin shell of CaP, which provides stability and protects from
unwanted chemical interactions, but allows protons to pass unimpeded. To use this material,
several fundamental questions are addressed: 1) What is the maximum light output from
the particles? 2) How do the particles interact with each other at high concentration? 3) Is
the photo yield of light different for fluorescein in CaP nanoshells compared to solution?
Using steady state fluorescence method, in conclusion, we determined that 1) fluorescence
yield is lower but there is no internal quenching 2) nanoshells protect the fluorescein dye
from self-quenching by isolating fluorescence into smaller compartments and reducing dye/
dye interactions 3) the quantum yield of fluorescence from fluorescence in CaP nanoshells
is 10 times higher than in solution when internal concentration is used. Photobleaching is
eliminated. Based on these results, a model for fluorescein behavior in CaP nanoshells is
developed.
Keywords: pH sensitivity, calcium phosphate, liposomes, nanoshells
161
AM Poster Abstracts
Service Learning, Diversity Education, and the Benefits of Integration
Amanda Anderson and Benjamin Rackman (Cathleen Power), Westminster College
AM Poster Session, Easel 5
Service-learning and diversity education are two of the most salient pedagogies in
higher education in recent history. Theorists argue that many benefits would arise from
combining these pedagogies, considering the strengths and weaknesses of each (Tschirhart,
2002). Without some background knowledge of different groups, for instance, students in
service-learning classes may interpret their experiences with members of disenfranchised
groups in ways that reinforce stereotypes (Levison, 1986). On the other hand, classroom
discussion about diversity may seem too abstract for students with little or no experience
of interacting with people who face prejudice and discrimination in our society (O’Grady,
2000).
There is, however, a conspicuous lack of data available on the benefits of such a
combination. In order to investigate how service-learning and diversity education courses
inform and enhance each other, we administered a survey to students in service-learning
and diversity education courses at Westminster College and Salt Lake Community College.
We examined how the number of service learning and diversity education classes that
student had taken related to concepts important to both pedagogies, such as belief in
a just world, awareness of privilege and oppression, and commitment to community
involvement. In this poster presentation, we report our findings from this survey and
discuss their implications for students, educators, and researchers interested in promoting
social justice.
Does the Mixing of Separately Evolved Artificial Neural Networks Improve Performances?
Matt Polichette (Peter Conwell), Westminster College
AM Poster Session, Easel 6
In nature, separated populations will often develop different sets of traits that suit their
respective environments. Allowing separated populations to merge and evolve together
often causes the best traits from both populations to proliferate, resulting in an improved
final population. Our hypothesis assumes that by combining two initially separate
populations of neural networks we may develop better networks. With sufficient nodes,
feed-forward artificial neural networks have been shown to approximate any function. An
evolutionary technique was used to train ensembles of networks to approximate a signed
multiply. Signed multiplies are important for optical implementations of artificial neural
networks. We visualize the performance of a network as a particular point on a fitness
landscape. More fit networks congregate near the peaks of a fitness landscape. Training
moves a network toward the landscape’s peaks. Occasionally, training ends with a network
located at a peak lower than the highest possible one. Performance is then suboptimal.
Combining traits from two independently trained ensembles allows us to explore more of
the landscape. We independently trained two different ensembles using only reproduction
and mutation operators. Both ensembles were evolved through one hundred generations.
Half of each ensemble were swapped. The ensembles were evolved for another hundred
162
AM Poster Abstracts
generations. We compared the performance of networks evolved using the swapping
technique to equivalent networks evolved without swapping. The performance of the
swapped ensembles was similar to the performance of the non-swapped ensembles.
Survey of Incidence of Staphylococcus aureus (and MRSA) in Student Populations
at Westminster College
Courtney Forrest, Chris Roundy, and Chris Bradley (Lawrence W. Anderson),
Westminster College
AM Poster Session, Easel 7
Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for nearly 300,000 hospital infections a year in the
United States. These infections greatly increase the cost of hospital visits, and increase
fatalities due to infection by nearly nine percent. In 2005, approximately 94,000 of S.
aureus infections were due to MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) an
antibiotic resistant strain of the microbe. Previous studies reported that over 25 percent
of healthcare workers are carriers of S. aureus, while less than 20 percent of people in the
community are carriers of this bacterium. This study examined the carrier rates of S. aureus
in Westminster College students pursuing Nursing or Psychology (without healthcare
employment) degrees. The hypothesis of the study was that the incidence of S. aureus in
nursing students (due to their work place exposure) will be higher than in psychology
students. The incidence of MRSA was hypothesized to be higher in nursing students as
well. In the study we obtained over 100 nasal samples and confirmed all Staph. aureus
isolates using a DrySpot agglutination test. Confirmed isolates were then tested using a
disk diffusion assay for resistance to penicillin, methicillin, vancomycin, and azithromycin.
Metagenomic Techniques Applied to a High-saline Ecosystem, Great Salt Lake, Utah
Eric E. Edmunds (Bonnie Baxter), Westminster College
AM Poster Session, Easel 8
Metagenomics is a modern set of techniques that is successful in identifying genes of
microbial communities from environmental samples. The power of these studies is
avoiding cultivation, which does not work for all microbes, resulting in identification
of species that have not been previously cataloged. The identification of new genes and
species leads to a greater understanding of the specific environment and could give
us information about useful biochemical pathways that are present, such as hydrogen
production or petroleum degradation. However, in order to have good gene identification
it is essential to have superb DNA isolation. We have experimented with different
protocols to find the most efficient protocol for DNA isolation on Great Salt Lake (GSL)
water and soil samples. In combination with cultivation, we will use these protocols to
map the environmental genome of GSL.
163
AM Poster Abstracts
Developing a Strategy to Integrate a Building Energy Monitoring System into the Science
Curriculum
Natasha Khan (Tricia D. Shepherd), Westminster College
AM Poster Session, Easel 9
In today’s society, there has become a need for energy alternatives. This calls for ingenuity
in car, building, and mechanical inventions to make them more energy efficient. The new
science center at Westminster College has gone beyond the standard building code and has
been designed as an energy efficient building. When the building is operational in spring
of 2010, there needs to be a way to successfully communicate how much energy is saved
and consumed by the building. The design of the building incorporates energy monitoring
of mechanical and electrical systems that will be accessed publicly via a Website. This
project describes innovative ways to display this data such that 1) it communicates the
impact building occupants have on the energy efficiency of the building 2) it can be
effectively integrated into the science curriculum. Our hope is to influence positive “green”
behaviors by faculty, staff, and students to keep energy conservation at its maximum.
Carotendoids and DNA Damage in a Great Salt Lake Halophilic Archaea
Lindsy J. Brickell and Rue Van Dyke (Bonnie Baxter), Westminster College
AM Poster Session, Easel 10
Halophilic Archaea can tolerate extreme environmental conditions such as those found
in Great Salt Lake (GSL). The hypersaline water as well as the high levels of sunlight
contribute to the unique characteristics of the microbes in this environment. One of these
characteristics is the ability of GSL halophiles to produce carotenoids which may aid in
photoprotection, the mechanism of which is unknown. One GSL isolate, “Halorubrum
salsolis” displays this property. Cultures of “H. salsolis” grown in the light exhibit bright
coloration whereas cultures grown in the dark are pale in color. In our studies, we are
testing the hypothesis that carotenoids protect from UV damage by preventing the
formation of thymine dimers. To accomplish this, we have analyzed the relative amounts
of thymine dimers present following irradiation of cells either grown in the dark or in the
light. Our studies will identify whether carotenoids have a direct or indirect relationship
with the prevention of UV damage.
Actualistic Tests of Paleoecological Hypotheses: Reconstructing an Existing Lacustrine Environment
on the Utah-Idaho Border
Ivy Abbott, Nicholas Cummings, and Erik Tamminen (David W. Goldsmith), Westminster
College
AM Poster Session, Easel 11
The distributions and abundances of fossil organisms are often used in paleoecology to
reconstruct aspects of those organisms’ physical environment. The shores of Bear Lake
on the Utah-Idaho border are littered with a diverse assemblage of molluscan shells. The
lake itself, however, has been devoid of mollusks for millennia. Consequently, these shell
164
AM Poster Abstracts
beds represent a rare opportunity to assess how accurately these distributions truly reflect
the physical environment. They have been transported, winnowed, and time-averaged
in a manner consistent with a typical fossil horizon; however, the physical environment
that created these deposits is still present and subject to direct observation. These shell
beds therefore give us the opportunity to use purely paleontological data and methods
to attempt to reconstruct a known physical environment. We collected bulk samples of
the Bear Lake shell beds at one-mile intervals around the entire forty-mile perimeter of
the lake. These samples included over 100,000 individuals from over a dozen different
species of bivalve and gastropod. We then used classic paleoecological techniques to see
how accurately we could reconstruct the environment from which these specimens were
collected. We examined the relative abundance of ecologically distinct species, rates of
bivalve disarticulation and differences in the ratios of left to right valves from different
sites around the lake perimeter. We also compared the results of tumbling experiments in
the laboratory with the actual pattern of shell breakage found at these different locations.
Using these data we were able to predict shoreline gradients, current patterns, and the
location of streams feeding into the lake, and then verify each of these predictions.
Enterococcus faecalis Clinical Isolates and the Detection of Proteolytic Activity InVitro
Paula J. Porter and Demetrius M. Coombs (Lawrence W. Anderson), Westminster College
AM Poster Session, Easel 12
E. faecalis is a Gram positive coccus that is normal flora in the intestinal tracts of animals.
It is a common cause of nosocomial infections in humans, especially of the urinary
tract. The virulence factors of this bacterium include adherence genes, a hemolysin
and a cytotoxin (protease). We have obtained eight clinical isolates of this microbe
and confirmed their identity using the RapID STR System test, a common biochemical
identification tool of streptococci and related organisms. The isolates were also tested for
proteolytic activity on gelatin agar and on milk agar. Hemolysis was tested on Sheep’s
Blood Agar under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. We also examined the activity
of these virulence factors, and the expression of adherence genes, after growth in medium
containing urea. We successfully detected proteolytic and hemolytic activity in some
isolates grown under standard culture conditions, as well as an increase in adherence gene
expression. However, different types of activity were detected under different conditions
(aerobic vs. anaerobic) and in other strains. This result suggests that protease and
hemolytic activity are not linked in the organism, and different genes will be expressed
under different conditions, namely in the presence of urea. The significance of culture
environment on the expression of these virulence factors in vivo will be discussed.
165
AM Poster Abstracts
A New Tool to Assist Low-resolution Structure Determination
Bradley Hinzte (Sean Johnson), Utah State University
AM Poster Session, Easel 13
Proteins are important molecules that catalyze the reactions of life. The function of a
protein is derived from its three dimensional structure. A powerful method for determining
the structure of proteins is x-ray crystallography. The resolution of crystallographic data
can vary between proteins – larger proteins and protein complexes tend to yield lower
resolution data. While it is possible to build a protein model at low resolution, refining
the model can often be problematic. Although a variety of methods currently exist for
refinement of low-resolution structures, these methods are often complex and difficult to
implement. For example, distance restraints between atoms are often manually defined by
the researcher to aid refinement. This can be a very time consuming process because the
researcher has to analyze each amino acid, and large protein structures can be thousands
of amino acids long. We report a new computational tool that allows the user to easily
define distance restraints for crystallographic refinement. This tool will simplify the model
building and refinement of low-resolution structures.
The Relationship Between Need for Cognition and the Use of Biases in Entrepreneurial Decision-Making
Bryson White (Daniel Holland), Utah State University
AM Poster Session, Easel 14
Entrepreneurs seem to be different, a “breed-apart.” Yet research in entrepreneurship
has not been able to define the “entrepreneurial personality.” Over the last decade,
entrepreneurship research has shifted away from looking at personality traits and has
increasingly focused on growing our understanding of the ways entrepreneurs think. For
example, research has shown that entrepreneurs are more likely than managers in large
organizations to manifest certain biases (or mental short-cuts) in their decision-making.
The aim of this study is to explore why some individuals are more likely to use biases and
to see if such individuals are indeed more likely to act entrepreneurially. Specifically, we
examine the relationship between the need for cognition—a need to understand and make
sense of the experiential world—and the use of biases and heuristics in entrepreneurial
decision-making. Social psychology studies suggest that individuals who are high in the
need for cognition may be less susceptible to a variety of decision-making biases. Thus,
in this study we seek to answer the following questions: (1) Is the need for cognition
inversely related to the manifestation of decision-making biases in entrepreneurial
decisions?; (2) Since entrepreneurs are often working in highly ambiguous environments
which may preclude them from thoroughly “thinking things through,” are those who
are high in the need for cognition less likely to act entrepreneurially? Implications for
entrepreneurs and suggestions for future research are provided.
166
AM Poster Abstracts
A Poet Displaced: Elizabeth Bishop and the Poetics of Unhomeliness
Corey Clawson (Anne Schifrer), Utah State University
AM Poster Session, Easel 15
In 1915, five year-old Elizabeth Bishop moved from her home in Worchester,
Massachusetts to Great Village, Nova Scotia where she spent a critical part of her
childhood. Following a lifelong series of similar displacements, Bishop later became
Poet Laureate of the United States although she defined herself as a “North American
poet” rather than an American or Canadian poet for much of her career. Bishop’s selfidentification as a “North American poet” is noteworthy because the poet only lived in the
province for approximately a year following her relocation and a number of subsequent
summer visits. This paper examines how Bishop’s transnational experience of moving to
and leaving Canada shaped her cultural identity as well as her poetry and prose. Following
Bishop’s relocation, later in life, from the United States to Brazil, Nova Scotia and the idea
of “home” became major themes in a number of her poems and short stories. This study
suggests that she entered a state of “unhomeliness”—a sense of cultural homelessness—as
a result of this series of dislocating experiences. Consequently, Bishop connected these
two places in her mind and in her writing. This study builds upon Gary Fountain’s article,
Maple Leaf Forever: Elizabeth Bishop’s Poetics of National Identity, which first examined
the poet’s state of “unhomeliness.” This paper helps scholars to better understand Bishop’s
work redirecting Fountain’s discussion on Bishop’s cultural identity to explain how her
experiences in dislocation, in combination with her familiarity with the distinct cultures
of Canada and Brazil, contributed to the development of this identity. This examination of
the poet’s life and work focuses upon the connections made between the two places in her
letters and her poetry and prose writings including “The Country Mouse,” “In the Village,”
and “Sestina.”
Differential Effects of RNAi on Toll-like Receptors in Human A549, A498, HEK-G2, and HEK293 Cells Infected with Oncolytic Bluetongue Virus
Christopher Peterson (Joseph Li), Utah State University
AM Poster Session, Easel 16
Bluetongue virus (BTV) is a non-enveloped double-stranded RNA virus of the genus
Orbivirus in the Family Reoviridae. BTV’s pathology in cattle, sheep and other ruminants
hemorrhagic fevers and death. Although humans are not susceptible to BTV, it has been
found that BTV is oncolytic in some human cancers (Hu et al. 2008). BTV entry into a host
cell is mediated by an unknown receptor on the membrane of the cell. Toll-like receptors
(TLR) are constituents of the innate immune system and recognize double stranded RNA
and other antigenic characteristics of BTV. As a part of the cell’s innate immune system,
TLRs also induce intracellular cascades that lead to inflammation and cell mediated death
or apoptosis (R. Medzhitov 2000). Therefore TLRs have potential to play an integral role
in BTV infection and propagation. This experiment was divided into two phases. In the
first phase, RNAi was used to silence TLR mRNA expressions. Quantification of mRNA
concentrations of BTV, TLR, and house genes were found through the use of quantitative
167
AM Poster Abstracts
real-time PCR. Our preliminary investigation shows RNAi decreased TLR mRNA expression
in transfected cells. We further show that BTV infected cells are effected by the decrease in
TLR expression. In phase two we used Toll-like receptor SABiosciences RT2 Profiler PCR
Array System to provide further data concerning TLR and associated pathways during BTV
infection in cancer cells. These data should provide enough preliminary information to
enable further determination of the mechanisms BTV regulates during infection.
Genetic and Biochemical Studies of Plasmid pir52-1 in Lactobacillus helveticus
Cody Tramp (Dennis Welker), Utah State University
AM Poster Session, Easel 17
Lactobacillus helveticus is a species of lactic acid bacteria commonly used as a probiotic
and in the production of fermented dairy products. At present the plasmid pIR52-1
from strain R0052 of this species has only been sequenced and little is known about its
genetic and structural characteristics. This project localizes the origin of replication of the
plasmid and identifies genes potentially responsible for control of plasmid replication.
An examination of the interaction of pIR52-1 with two proteins located on the plasmid
using gel mobility shift assays was also conducted. From the results of these experiments,
a potential mechanism for replication control is proposed. The characterization of
this plasmid enables the construction of better vectors for future genetic studies of L.
helveticus.
Temporal and Spatial Variation of Nutrient Availability in Five Mountain Lakes
Cyri Dixon (Wayne Wurtsbaugh), Utah State University
AM Poster Session, Easel 18
Nutrient bioavailability was studied from May-August, 2008 in five lakes from the
Sawtooth Mountains (Idaho) to understand spatial and temporal factors controlling lake
productivity. Both the inflow and outflow waters were sampled to address how lakes can
modify nutrient bioavailability. In vitro bioassays demonstrated that phytoplankton were
usually primarily limited by phosphorus and secondarily by nitrogen. During the early
runoff period in May, nutrients in the inflows were more bioavailable than those in the
lake outflows; however, during July and August, water from the outflows supported algal
growth equally, or more than the inflow water, suggesting that lakes may buffer nutrient
fluxes to downstream areas. This study helps us better understand the buffering capabilities
of lakes and how the availability of nutrients for phytoplankton changes from snowmelt to
baseflow.
168
AM Poster Abstracts
Analogous Mutations in Two PTP Enzymes Cause Differential Adverse Effects on Catalysis
Ryan Berry (Alvan Hengge), Utah State University
AM Poster Session, Easel 19
Protein-tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) are enzymes that catalyze the dephosphorylation of
tyrosine residues in proteins. All PTPs share highly superimposable active sites and use the
same catalytic mechanism, including a nucleophilic cysteine, an arginine that stabilizes
the phosphoryl group transition state, and aspartate, a general acid on the flexible WPD
loop. The WPD loop swings into position upon substrate binding, allowing protonation
of the phosphoester bridge oxygen. Despite these similarities, catalytic rates of PTPs range
over several orders of magnitude. We hypothesize that this variance results from differences
in conformational modulations accessory to WPD loop movement, and have compared
the effects of mutagenesis of corresponding residues in two PTPs, YopH from Yersinia and
human PTP1B. Mutation of one hinge residue of the WPD loop, W179F, results in a 1000fold rate reduction and loss of general acid activity in YopH, while the analogous mutation
in PTP1B causes only a 2-fold reduction, and no loss of general acid catalysis. Orthogonal
mutation of the other hinge residues results in complete loss of activity for YopH Q357F,
but only a 30-fold reduction for PTP1B F182Q. We also compared the effect of mutating a
conserved glutamate, a residue which positions arginine via hydrogen bonds, to glutamine.
The E115Q mutant of YopH displayed a reduction in kcat of 100-fold, while the E115Q
mutant of PTP1B shows a reduction of only 7-fold. In summary, we see a consistent
pattern: YopH is less tolerant of mutations to noncatalytic residues associated with protein
isomerization than PTP1B. This supports the hypothesis that despite similar active sites,
differences in catalysis-associated protein movements are present between these PTPs.
Parental Ethnotheories and How They Affect Child Health Care in Utah
Ryan Jackman (David Lancy), Utah State University
AM Poster Session, Easel 20
Because cultural understandings that parents hold are organized into larger categories of
mutually supportive beliefs [within a culture], we refer to them as parental ethnotheories.
Ultimately, parental ethnotheories exert a powerful influence on the health and
development of children.” (Harkness:2.) Because parents are most often the greatest
influence upon children, their ethnotheories are most likely to determine when and how
a child will be allowed to adopt the sick-role as well as receive health care. Many studies
have been performed in regards to what factors influence adults to adopt the sick-role
or delay its adoption. Such studies suggest that adults will adopt the sick-role and seek
medical attention after illness interferes with daily activities and others have sanctioned
their being ill. However, it has also been found that adults will generally delay the sick-role
as pressures to fulfill their roles increase. This study proposes to identify which parental
ethnotheories and cultural models within a sub-urban Utah community are used by
parents to define whether a child is sick or not, and if the child needs to see a physician.
It is hypothesized that factors such as socio-economic status, access to health insurance,
and the number of parents working will influence parental ethnotheories on these matters.
A survey was developed with the assistance of a medical doctor to assess the influence of
such factors. Another survey was later developed to investigate ethnotheories in relation to
well-child visits. Fifty to 100 parents will participate in each survey. It is anticipated that the
collected data will show which parental ethnotheories tend to delay health care seeking
behaviors and which result in health care being sought. Such knowledge will be valuable
to physicians as they assess how to assist parents in treating their children.
169
AM Poster Abstracts
Fatty-acid Induced Hormone Release in Enteroendocrine Cells
Spencer Hyde (Tim Gilbertson), Utah State University
AM Poster Session, Easel 21
Enteroendocrine cells (STC-1 cells) release satiety hormones, which limit nutrient intake,
in response to different nutrients. The most potent stimulants for satiety hormone release
in STC-1 cells are polyunsaturated free fatty acids. Despite their importance, the molecular
basis of fatty acid-induced hormone release in STC-1 cells has not been characterized.
It has been shown that delayed rectifying potassium channels (DRK channels) act as
receptors for free fatty acids. Using heterologous expression, we have determined that the
KCNA & KCNB DRK families are FA-sensitive (FA-s) channels, while the KCNC family
is FA-insensitive (FA-i) (Liu., et al, 2005) We hypothesize that fatty acids inhibit FA-s
DRK (KCNA) channels and cause depolarization in STC-1 cells which, in turn, increases
intracellular calcium concentrations in STC-1 cells leading to satiety hormone release.
To determine if the ratio of FA-i:FA-s will alter fatty acid induced hormone release, I will
attempt to overexpress either the FA-i channel (KCNC1) or the FA-s channel (KCNA5)
using lipofectamine-mediated transfection. Using patch clamp recording, I am planning to
examine the effect of linoleic acid (10 μM) on DRK currents in STC-1 cells co-transfected
with GFP and either KCNA5 or KCNC1. I hypothesize that over expression of the FA-i
KCNC1 channel leads to a marked reduction in fatty acid responsiveness. Conversely,
over expressing KCNA5 channels should enhance the fatty acid responsiveness. We are
also going to utilize molecular biological techniques (quantitative real time PCR) and
cell based assays (patch clamp recording, calcium imaging) to measure the change in the
ratio of FA-s: FA-i DRK channels in STC-1 cells and determine if this change alters the
responsiveness to fatty acids in STC-1 cells.
Europe’s Unifying Fathers Reveal a Not-So-Unified Perspective
Spencer Jacobson (Shannon Peterson), Utah State University
AM Poster Session, Easel 22
The European Union represents an unprecedented experiment in political and economic
integration but the evolution and development of a common European identity appears
less clear. At the European level, a common flag, anthem, and even currency have been
created to help unite the diverse peoples of Europe and help forge a common European
identity. Prominent individuals or “founding fathers” have also played a key role in
forging national identity. However, there appears little to no current research on the
public perception of the role of individual “Founding Fathers” towards the creation of
the European Union. This research aims to fill in this gap. Using a public opinion poll
designed and distributed by USU undergraduate political science and business students
in Europe, it seeks to determine if Europeans: (1) Believe that there are Founding Fathers
of the Union; (2) And, if so, who they believe those individuals to be. Finally, it looks at
correlations between knowledge and importance of the Union as it relates to individual
views on this issue. Preliminary results show a great difference of opinion and a serious
digression from the views on this issue on the European Union’s Website. Explanations
and implications of these results are discussed.
170
AM Poster Abstracts
Pathophysiological Role of ENaC in a Mammalian Model of Diabetes
Stephanie Croasdell (Tim Gilbertson), Utah State University
AM Poster Session, Easel 23
Diabetes is a profound disease that results in a severe lack of regulation of systemic salt
and water balance. Based on our earlier work concerning insulin regulation of epithelial
sodium channels (ENaC), a primary salt transducer, we hypothesize that ENaC in mouse
taste receptor cells (TRCs) plays a central role in the restoration of salt and water intake by
virtue of its regulation by insulin. Our goal was to elucidate the regulation of ENaC during
the onset of diabetes. Using a mouse model of Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes, we
have characterized behavioral responses to NaCl using a brief access behavioral testing
system. Diabetic mice showed significant avoidance of NaCl at lower concentrations
than the non-diabetic group through the use of short-term taste assays. Blood glucose
levels were used to identify the differences between diabetic and control mice. To test the
functional role of ENaC in salt taste during diabetes, we added amiloride (100 µM), a
diuretic by means of its antagonism of ENaC, to all solutions. Diabetic animals exhibited
no significant avoidance to these NaCl solutions (p<0.01). Next, we investigated the
activity of ENaC in taste cells from diabetic mice using ratiometric Na+ imaging with
a Na+-sensitive dye, SBFI. Results showed that insulin enhances amiloride-sensitive
Na+ influx via ENaC in TRCs. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that ENaC
alterations during diabetes may be an example of the ability of the gustatory system to
respond to nutritional changes. This is a novel study in which behavioral experiments were
combined with functional studies, allowing us to understand the pathophysiological role
of ENaC in diabetes.
Is There Slow Slip on the Wasatch Fault?
Tamara Jeppson (Anthony Lowry), Utah State University
AM Poster Session, Easel 24
To accurately determine the earthquake hazard posed by a fault, we need to understand
both strain accumulation and strain release along the fault. Strain accumulates during
aseismic periods but it is released during fault slip events that can be either seismic or
aseismic. Aseismic slow slip events are motions similar to earthquakes but they occur over
much longer timescales. Slow slip is not felt at the Earth’s surface but it can be recorded
in GPS time series. A deformation modeling tool that was applied in Guerrero, Mexico by
Lowry et. al. (2001) fits a hyperbolic tangent function to GPS time series and can be used
to distinguish slow slip events from noise in the data and from non-tectonic deformation.
Time series from the Wasatch Front GPS Network were analyzed for transient deformation
during the period encompassing 2004 to 2008. Data suggest several transient motions
that may indicate a slow slip event on the Wasatch Fault. Both seismic and aseismic slip
influence the earthquake cycle, and slow fault slip events offer a window into frictional
properties on fault surfaces that will rupture in future earthquakes. Consequently, as we
increase our understanding of aseismic slip and why it occurs, we eventually may expect
to develop predictive models of fault slip through time by combining measurements of
aseismic and seismic slip in models that reflect the physics of frictional slip on faults.
171
AM Poster Abstracts
Expression, Purification, and Crystallization of PRMT1
Yalemi Morales (Joan Hevel), Utah State University
AM Poster Session, Easel 25
Methyltransferases catalyze the addition of methyl groups to nitrogen, carbon, sulfur,
and oxygen atoms of proteins, lipids, nucleic acids and small proteins. Protein arginine
methyltransferases (PRMTs) catalyze the methylation of arginine substrates forming
monomethylarginine (MMA) or asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA). The ultimate goal
is to obtain a crystal structure of PRMT1 with a substrate that has only one arginine so that
important enzyme-substrate interactions can be visualized.
I have optimized the purification conditions and have found that a nickel affinity column,
an ion exchange column such as the Hi Trap Mono Q column, and then a sizing column
such as the Superdex 200 gel filtration column, are the best conditions to get the most
clean protein. I have been setting up crystallization conditions with a crystallization robot
and have found one new condition that can crystallize both PRMT1 and PRMT1 with a
monomethylated peptide. I am working on optimizing this condition to obtain bigger
protein crystals with monomethylated peptide bound.
Assay Development to Characterize Chitinase Activity in Halophilic Bacteria
Travis J. Canova (Craig Oberg and Michele Zwolinski), Weber State University
AM Poster Session, Easel 26
Chitin, the second most abundant biopolymer in nature, is composed of repeating units
of the monomer N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc). Due to the large biomass of brine
fly cases and brine shrimp exoskeletons, composed of chitin, it serves as a significant
carbon and nitrogen source in the Great Salt Lake (GSL). Degradation of chitin by
halophilic bacteria appears essential in the recycling of carbon and nitrogen in the
GSL, but the diversity of chitinolytic organisms remains unknown. The assay actually
measures chitobiase activity, which is found concomitantly with chitinase activity. This
assay, adapted from a filter paper technique, can screen 96 samples simultaneously for
chitinolytic activity. The substrates for the assay are the monomer, dimer, and trimer
forms of 4-methyllumbelliferyl-N-acetyl-B-D-glucosaminide (4-MUF.GlcNAc). When
these compounds are enzymically cleaved, 4-methyllumbelliferyl (4-MUF) is released
and fluoresces. This assay was used to rapidly screen of a large number of halophilic
microorganisms isolated from the GSL. The cleavage pattern of the three substrates
can help determine the types of chitinolytic enzymes each isolate may possess. Results
indicate that while some halophile isolates only metabolize the GlcNAc monomer,
other halophiles prefer the dimer and trimer forms of GlcNAc. This assay also provides
data on the metabolic rates of carbon and nitrogen biogeochemical cycling in the GSL
ecosystem. In addition, it can be used as an initial screen for organisms that may have
interesting metabolic traits associated with chitinase production that could be important
in biotechnology applications.
172
AM Poster Abstracts
Libel Law and the New Hire Reporter: Reason for Concern?
James A. Elmer (Sheree Josephson), Weber State University
AM Poster Session, Easel 27
This report has two parts: First, I propose that mass media agencies should train new hire
staff reporters and interns in media/libel law to prevent negligence suits that can result
from the learning curve. Since anyone could walk in off the street and declare themselves
a reporter, this brings cause for concern. Therefore, legal training should happen before
they are sent out on independent assignments. Legal training can also have the benefit on
helping the organization grow as the new staffers will stay with the company and move
up the ladder faster. I evaluate this by presenting five cases, all of which were won by the
private-person plaintiff. Second, I outline a proposed immunization statute for new hire
print reporters that would affect them from facing negligence suits while they are working
with a supervising editor to learn their trade. It is intended to cover only the print medium,
since broadcast has more of a potential for harm to the public trust. The qualified element
of prosecutorial immunity (which protects prosecutors from civil suit if they are acting as
investigators) provides the basis upon which this proposal is outlined. To do this, I use five
U.S. Supreme Court standards of judgment for libel fault—likelihood of offense standard,
the legitimate public concern standard, urgency of publication (“hot news” standard),
reliability of source, and probability of truth or believability—to provide a method of
judging the culpability and guilt of a new hire reporter or intern.
Effect of Selenium on the Brine Shrimp Artemia
Jeffrey J. Jepperson (Nicole Okazaki), Weber State University
AM Poster Session, Easel 28
The Great Salt Lake ecosystem is significant for hosting many bird species and supporting a
large brine shrimp cyst industry. These populations are affected by the increasing levels of
selenium, a byproduct of the local mining plants. This study attempts to quantify the effect
of selenium on the brine shrimp Artemia, in acute setting and under chronic exposure, on
life parameters and at the cell level.
The survival rates of Artemia larvae and adults exposed for 24 and 48 hours to selenium
concentration ranging from 10-2 (w/v) to 10-7 were measured. Shrimp were raised at 106 and 10-5 selenium concentrations. The survival, time to maturation and the number
of eggs per broods were measured. In addition, the level of heat shock proteins 70 were
monitored under each condition.
Selenium concentrations of 10-3 and above are 100 percent fatal to both larvae and adults
while the survival rate is nearly 100 persent at concentration below 10-4. Preliminary
results in shrimp raised in 10-4 selenium resulted in poor survival and zero percent
maturation. An hsp 70 western blot indicated an increase in expression in shrimp exposed
at 10-3 selenium. Shrimp in 10-5 selenium are able to mature and produce viable eggs.
173
AM Poster Abstracts
The Academic Job Market: Will You Be Competitive? A Case Study in Ecology and Evolutionary
Biology
Paul R. Buttars (Jonathon C. Marshall), Weber State University; Robert G. Shupe, Bryce
Lunt, Thomas Callahan, Southern Utah University, John Q. Dennehy, D. James Harris
AM Poster Session, Easel 29
For the last several decades the percentage of tenured or tenure-track faculty on campuses
have declined significantly. The implications of this are that adjunct professors, full and
part time instructors, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows are teaching a high
percentage of classes at most universities. The relatively low number of tenure-track jobs
on any campus coupled with the increase number of PhDs being granted each year in
many disciplines has created a highly competitive market for these jobs. It would be
invaluable to have data comparing the general qualifications of newly hired assistant
professors in tenure-track or permanent equivalent jobs for students contemplating
graduate school. Here we present data collected from 181 newly hired faculty members
in the fields of ecology and evolutionary biology from around the world. We report the
average number of publications, courses taught, years as postdoctoral fellows, and research
grants received for successful job applicants. Our results indicate an extremely competitive
environment for academic jobs in the fields of ecology and evolutionary biology.
The Effects of Benzene on Brine Shrimp, Artemia franciscana
Kendall Asper (Nicole Okazaki), Weber State University
AM Poster Session, Easel 30
The Great Salt Lake is a terminal lake and a remnant of prehistoric Lake Bonneville.
Without outlets, the lake is highly susceptible to pollution. This characteristic is important
considering the lake provides food and nesting for numerous migratory bird species
and it supports a brine shrimp cyst harvesting industry. Use of fuels in industry and
transportation may be leading to increases in benzene concentrations within the lake, and
subsequently benzene may be bioaccumulating in the tissues of brine shrimp and affecting
physiological processes.
In this study, larvae and adult brine shrimp, Artemia, were exposed to benzene
concentrations ranging from 10-6 to 10-2 (v/v). The survival rate was measured after 24hour acute exposure. Also, survival rate, time to maturation, and fertility were measured
in shrimp exposed to constant benzene concentrations of 10-5 and 10-4 (v/v). Shrimp
proteins were examined after a 24-hour acute exposure using SDS-PAGE. Heat shock
proteins Hsp70 and Hsp90 were measured using western blots. Superoxide dismutase
(SOD), lipid peroxidase (LPO), and glutathione (GSH) assays were used to determine
oxidative damage to tissues.
Preliminary studies indicate that acute benzene exposure, over a 24-hour period at or
above 10-3 (v/v), showed complete mortality in adults. Additionally, time to maturation is
prolonged from 27.8 days for controls to 29.4 days for 10-5 (v/v) to 29.6 days for 10-4 (v/
v). Fertility is unaffected by benzene treatment. Benzene exposure appears to induce Hsp70
and Hsp90 expressions. Furthermore, antioxidant levels of SOD, LPO, and GSH are similar
in exposed and non-exposed shrimp.
174
AM Poster Abstracts
Comparing Childless Single Males’ and Females’ Attitudes and Knowledge of Breastfeeding
Lauren Challis and Mathew Johnson (Artis Grady and Matthew Schmidt), Southern Utah
University
AM Poster Session, Easel 31
The American Dietetic Association position paper on breastfeeding (BF) states that
exclusive BF provides optimal nutrition and health protection for the first six months
of life. Research is clear about the benefits of BF, however BF rates in the United States
declined in the 20th century, reaching an all time low of 24 percent in 1971. Since that
time, rates of initiation of BF rose to over 70 percent in 2001 yet only 35 percent of
infants were still receiving any breast milk at six months of age. To increase the rate of BF,
various obstacles must be overcome. Lack of support in the home, false perceptions of the
partner’s attitude, and lack of knowledge of the benefits contribute to the cessation of BF.
Whereas previous studies examined attitudes of fathers, and pre-natal and post-partum
couples, the purpose of this study was to determine childless, single men’s and women’s
feelings and beliefs about BF. Two hundred and fifty men (mean age 20.9 ± 2.5) and 276
women (mean age 19.6 ± 2.1) were surveyed. Participant attitudes and beliefs of BF were
questioned. Results indicated statistically significant differences (p<.05) in attitudes of
men and women regarding the importance of BF, the function of the breast, if BF damages
breasts, and benefits BF provides for the mother and infant. This study suggests that single
men and women differ in their opinions and understanding of BF. Although differences
were noted, men were generally supportive and respected women who BF. Educating
young adults regarding BF might improve BF social acceptability and increase BF rates.
Is There a Difference in Body Age Between Senior Athletes and Non-athletes?
Melissa M. Zobrist and Judy Higbee (Julie E. Taylor), Southern Utah University
AM Poster Session, Easel 32
Athletes, as a population, differ in many aspects of health and fitness. Senior athletes
will have an even greater variance than their non-athletic counterparts because many of
them have engaged in physically active lifestyles throughout the years. This study is a
continuation of a pilot study begun in 2007 investigating the Body Ages of senior athletes
and non-athletes. Body Age is a calculation based upon fitness and health measures that
represents chronological age relative to biological age. A lower Body Age represents a
greater level of health and fitness. Methods: 75 athletes and 75 non-athletes volunteered
to participate in a health risk evaluation and fitness assessment to determine Body Age.
Athletes recruited for this study came from the 2008 Huntsman Senior Games in St.
George, Utah. These senior athletes were matched by age and sex with non-athletes from
the Sun River Retirement Community. Results: It was concluded in the pilot study that
athletes had a lower body age than their non-athlete peers. In the initial study, athletes
were primarily volleyball players. This year the study was expanded to include athletes
from a greater variety of sports, including volleyball, softball, track, and pickleball.
The results of this year’s study are more generalizable to the senior athlete population.
Discussion will include sport specific differences in Body Age relative to non-athletes.
175
AM Poster Abstracts
Behavior-specific Praise as an Intervention in the Classroom
Tiffany L. Scholes (Leslie N. Jones), Southern Utah University
AM Poster Session, Easel 33
Managing disruptive classroom behavior can be time consuming and can reduce the time
teachers have for instruction (Reinke, Lewis-Palmer, & Martin, 2007). Teacher praise is
a technique that can be used to manage classroom behavior (Reinke et al., 2007). This
study examined the effects of praise when it is behavior specific, on decreasing disruptive
behaviors by increasing desirable on-task behaviors in the classroom. Behavior-specific
praise is defined as praise that specifically identifies the child’s behavior for which he or
she is being praised for (e.g., “Johnny, thank you for raising your hand when you want
to talk) (Kalis et al., 2007; Reinke et al., 2007; Sutherland et al., 2000). Two elementary
school teachers and five second grade students participated in the study. The teachers
identified children in their classroom who were exhibiting disruptive behavior and then
were given examples of behavior-specific praise statements through scripts. The behavior
of the identified children was observed and recorded. An ABAB design was used with
the teachers implementing the intervention. The results suggest that students’ disruptive
behaviors decreased and on-task behavior increased when teachers applied behaviorspecific praise consistently.
Muscle Phosphatidylcholine Lipid Profile Changes in Response to Exercise
Aaron C. Miller and Danny R. Sims (Brad R. Roberts, Steven G. Wood, Craig D. Thulin,
Matthew R. Linford, and Allen C. Parcell), Brigham Young University
AM Poster Session, Easel 34
The phosphatidylcholine lipid profile of rat gastrocnemius muscle tissue was determined
in response to exercise by analyzing eighteen Sprague-Dawley rats that were divided
into three exercise groups: high intensity, low intensity, and sedentary. The muscle
phospholipids were extracted and diluted in Folch reagent (chloroform:methanol, 2:1) to
a concentration of 1.87 mg/ml and analyzed directly using electrospray-ionization mass
spectrometry (ESI-MS). Variations among the phosphatidylcholine lipid profiles of the
three treatment groups were determined using principal components analysis (PCA). The
phosphatidylcholine peaks were subsequently analyzed using positive ion mode ESI-MS/
MS. The fragmentation pattern in this mode revealed the presence of the corresponding
lysophosphatidylcholines formed by the loss of a neutral fatty acid and allowed for the
complete structural characterization of the phosphatidylcholine molecules. The results of
this study revealed that the molecular weight of the fatty acids of the phosphatidylcholines
in rat skeletal muscle increases with increased exercise workout regimen.
176
AM Poster Abstracts
Mice Bearing a Targeted Inactivation of Nbmp2 Show Decreased Muscle Strength
Alina D. Schmidt, Sampath K. Longathan, Mike M. Adam, Caitlin Nichols, Jaime L. Mayo,
and Jennie E. Felin (Mario R. Capecchi), University of Utah; Jeffery R. Barrow, Brigham
Young University (Laura C. Bridgewater, University of Utah)
AM Poster Session, Easel 35
An important growth factor in the body, bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp2), contributes
to mesoderm formation, heart development, neurogenesis, skeletal development, and
axis formation. We have recently discovered a novel variant of this protein in the nucleus
(nBmp2). This protein is produced by translation from a downstream alternative start
codon and is localized to the nuclear by means of a bipartite nuclear localization signal.
To determine the function of nBmp2, a mouse was engineered in which the conventional
Bmp2 growth factor is still expressed normally, but the nuclear variant, nBmp2, cannot
be translocated to the nucleus. The mice appeared phenotypically normal at birth and
are fertile. A series of flexed limb-hang strength tests, however, revealed that mutant mice
had significantly reduced strength, compared to wild type mice. Western blot analysis
performed on mitochondrial extracts showed increased amounts of cytochrome C in
mutant compared to wild type muscle mitochondria. These results suggest that nBmp2
may affect muscle strength by playing a role in mitochondrial function. This work was
supported by NIH grant AR48839 and by an award from the Fulton Family Foundation to
promote undergraduate research.
Physiological Impact of Aphid Feeding Galls on Populus Fremonti Leaves
Brandon S. Carlisle and Stuart C. Wooley (Samuel B. St. Clair), Brigham Young University
AM Poster Session, Easel 36
Insect galls are abnormal plant growths caused by feeding of insect larvae or nesting of
adult insects and occur on a large number of woody plant species. A variety of aphid
species create galls in Utah-native Fremont Cottonwood Populus fremonti for adult and
larval feeding, directly tapping sugars from the plant phloem in the leaf petiole. To date,
little data is available on the impact of galls in Fremont Cottonwood. This project analyzes
the physiological differences between leaves affected by galls and leaves unaffected by galls
in the following areas: photosynthetic rate, defense chemical production, and production
of non-structural carbohydrates. Real-time photosynthesis measurements were taken from
both galled and ungalled leaves using a LI-COR instrument to measure CO2 uptake rates
with IRGA (infrared gas analyzer). Leaf tissue samples of both galled and ungalled leaves
were collected and processed. This study analyzes bioassays to measure concentrations of
phenolic glycosides, condensed tannins, non-structural carbohydrates, and foliar nutrients.
Contrary to the project hypothesis, photosynthetic data indicates that the presence of galls
has no affect on photosynthetic rate. However, increased levels of both phenolic glycosides
and condensed tannins and decreased levels of non-structural carbohydrates and foliar
nutrients are expected in galled leaf samples, suggesting a decrease in physiological
function as well as induction of defense chemical production due to aphid galls.
177
AM Poster Abstracts
Paterae: Io’s Heat Vents
Brandon J. Barth (Jani Radebaugh), Brigham Young University
AM Poster Session, Easel 37
Paterae are some of the most significant features in our solar system’s most volcanically
active planetary body Io. These caldera-like features dot the surface of Jupiter’s innermost
moon and are the locations for most of its active volcanism. Many of these paterae have
active eruptions covering their floors, as evidenced by their association with hot spots,
or thermal emissions, and the presence of black materials, which quickly get covered by
SO2 frost from other activity. By classifying these ~400 paterae based on the amount of
black material we can easily discern where the active regions on the surface are now and
determine where there may have been active regions in the recent past. We have outlined
and classified over 400 paterae across Io in ArcGIS to find the amount of area filled by the
black material and find the locations of actively erupting paterae. Not only will this help
us decipher Io’s geologic past and young surface features, but it could also provide clues
as to how this planetary body releases its huge amount of internal heat caused by the tidal
flexing from Jupiter and its other outer moons.
Sports Field Management: Poa Pratensis L. phytosiderophore Exudation at High Iron Availability
Christopher M. Haskell (Bryan G. Hopkins), Von D. Jolley, and Emily A. Buxton, Brigham
Young University
AM Poster Session, Easel 38
Turfgrass is a multi-billion dollar industry that provides an ideal surface for most outdoor
sports. A healthy green color is a vital element of common turfgrass. In order for turfgrass
to maintain its optimum green color, it must have sufficient iron (Fe) for respiration,
nitrogen metabolism, and chlorophyll production. Soils in arid and semi-arid regions,
such as Utah, are often deficient in Fe due to a high pH level. To counteract this problem,
strategy II type plants (including turfgrass) exude phytosiderophore from their roots, a
chelating compound that allows the plant to sequester Fe from the soil surrounding its
roots. Previous studies have shown that turfgrass exudes more phytosiderophore when it
is grown in an environment deficient in Fe than when it is grown in solution containing
adequate levels of Fe. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of excessive
levels of iron on phytosiderophore exudation by the roots of Kentucky bluegrass (KBG; Poa
pratensis L.). Two cultivars were grown in an environmentally controlled growth chamber
in hydroponic solutions containing 100, 200, or 400µM Fe. Surprisingly, phytosiderophore
production increased rather than decreased when Fe concentration supplied to the roots of
KBG increased into the excessive range. It was theorized that the high Fe was creating a zinc
(Zn) deficiency due to known interactions between these nutrients. A second study similar
study was conducted at 200µM Fe and with increasing concentrations of 20, 60, or 180µM
Zn. Phytosiderophore production was not impacted by increasing Zn. Additional studies are
being conducted with other interacting nutrients to elucidate the cause of phytosiderophore
increase with excessive Fe supply to roots of KBG.
178
AM Poster Abstracts
Titan as a Laboratory for Earth’s Linear Dune Formation
Chris Savage (Jani Radebaugh), Brigham Young University
AM Poster Session, Easel 39
Linear dunes (straight or slightly sinuous sand ridges that are typically much longer than
they are wide) represent nearly 40 percent of Earth’s desert landforms, making them an
important component of local and regional sediment transport systems. However, since
linear dune formation was most active globally during the Pleistocene (~2 mya – 15 kya)
the conditions and controls of linear dune formation are poorly understood. Observing
active linear dune processes could provide important information on the controls and
conditions for linear dune formation and evolution.We present results of measurements
of linear dune spacing and dune width in likely active linear dune fields on Saturn’s moon
Titan seen by Cassini Radar. These measurements show a positive correlation between
increasing latitude and dune width, perhaps directly influenced by increased moisture at
higher latitudes (which can increase grain cohesiveness) allowing dunes to capture more
sediment and grow wider even if sediment supply is lower than in lower latitude areas.
These initial results show that latitudinal variations in sand supply, wind regime and
moisture play a significant role in linear dune formation.
Agents of Political Socialization of Youth in Mukono, Uganda
Cortney Evans (Julie M. Hite), Brigham Young University
AM Poster Session, Easel 40
As globalization ushers increases social, political, and economic inter-connectivity among
nations, the spotlight grows ever brighter on the performance of developing countries.
As these countries chart their paths towards development and political challenges crop
up, including issues of legitimacy and effective governance, the study of the process
of political socialization among youth becomes crucial to understanding the political
knowledge of citizens. The purpose of this research was to gain a greater understanding of
the sources of political socialization among youth in Mukono District, Uganda. Students
from seven different schools (n=36) were interviewed regarding which sources of political
socialization were most relevant and the sources they believed had greatest influence on
their political perspectives. Findings indicate an overwhelming reliance on media for
information and opinions. Students that opted to take political education courses turned
more often to the media while other students relied more heavily on school sources.
The influence of family occurred with the lowest frequency and demonstrated many
intervening variables in relation to political socialization. Understanding the processes and
agents of political socialization can inform government and education policy and enhance
the targeting of specific agents to enhance to facilitate a more educated and politically
active citizenry.
179
AM Poster Abstracts
TRPV1 Modulation in the Hippocampus
Douglas M. Bennion, Tyron D. Jensen, Jason Couch, Mike Castle, Stephen Daniel, and
Blake Nelson (Jeffrey G. Edwards), Brigham Young University
AM Poster Session, Easel 41
The function of TRPV-1 receptors in the peripheral nervous system is being intensely
studied with regard to its anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties. However,
its role in the CNS in modulating the mechanisms underlying learning and memory,
particularly in the hippocampus, has only recently been observed. Learning and memory
are made possible via physical changes at neuronal synapses in the brain, a phenomenon
known as synaptic plasticity. Because synaptic plasticity affects physical changes in
the brain in response to external stimuli, it is suspected of playing an essential role in
strengthening or weakening the neural pathways regulating short-term learning and
memory within the hippocampus. Dysfunctions in synaptic plasticity contribute to such
diseases and disorders as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and retrograde amnesia
(J Neuroscience, 21(1):356-352). Long-term potentiation (LTP) of neuronal synapses,
a specific form of synaptic plasticity, has long been suspected of mediating learning
and memory in the mammalian brain. Much of LTP research has been conducted in
the hippocampus, a learning and memory center located in the medial temporal lobe,
where TRPV-1 receptors have recently been shown to modulate synaptic plasticity among
hippocampal interneurons (Neuron, 57(5):746-59). Using field recordings obtained
from rat brain slices, we measured synaptic currents from hippocampal CA1 pyramidal
cells. This study shows that TRPV-1 activation via TRPV-1 agonist Capsaicin enhances LTP
among pyramidal cells of the CA1, and this enhancement is blocked by GABA antagonist
picrotoxin. Our data suggest that TRPV-1 receptors mediating increased LTP are expressed
at the CA3-interneuron synapse. These findings shed additional light on the largely
unknown mechanism driving spatial and declarative memory and learning.
New Light on the Dark Side of Vesuvius: The Production and Use of Glass in the Late Antiquity
Elise C. Krauel (Jaime Bartlett), Brigham Young University
AM Poster Session, Easel 42
The Apolline Project, an interdisciplinary and international effort between the University
of Suor Orsola Benincasa in Naples and Brigham Young University in the United States,
began three years ago to explore the unknown history of the north face of Mount Vesuvius
near Naples, Italy. The Apolline Project focuses on a late Roman structure in the area of
Masseria De Carolis, Pollena Trochia and expands our knowledge of this area and the later
Roman period. A major eruption of the volcano in A.D. 79 led to the complete destruction
of the major trade cities Pompeii and Herculaneum, situated south of the volcano. Due
to unusual circumstances of the prevailing winds, the ash fall, volcanic mud flows, and
pyroclastic blasts that devastated the communities on the south and west slopes, the north
face of Vesuvius was left relatively undamaged. Not until a series of eruptions in A.D.
472 and A.D. 512, was this face of Vesuvius destroyed. Though the sites of Pompeii and
Herculaneum have been the subject of major archaeological excavations since the 1880s,
180
AM Poster Abstracts
this north face was left largely uninvestigated until now. Excavations at Masseria De Carolis
originally were thought to have uncovered a small farmstead. However, the interpretation
shifted with the 2008 excavation when refined material goods including glass vessel
fragments and window pane fragments and architectural features used in heating floors
were recovered. These finds redefine the site’s function and social status as a bathhouse in a
large villa, shifting the view of the north face toward a more affluent view.
Comparison of Diptera: Empididae to Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera on an
Elevational Gradient
Elizabeth J. Bankhead and Sarah W. Judson (C. Riley Nelson), Brigham Young University
AM Poster Session, Easel 43
We compared the distribution and diversity of select aquatic, semiaquatic, and terrestrial
insects in the riparian zone of the American Fork River draining Mount Timpanogos,
Utah. Using malaise traps placed at six sites from the headwater spring to the valley floor,
richness, abundance, and distribution were measured. The semiaquatic and terrestrial
dipteran family Empididae (dance fly) was sorted out and compared to the clearly
aquatic orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT). The mid-domain effect
predicts that the greatest species richness would be found at the mid-range elevation of
the sampled gradient. Our data shows that richness peaked at mid-elevation, but contrary
to expectations the peaks for EPT and Empididae differed with the dipteran family’s
peak being at a higher elevation. The abundance peaks fell at a higher elevation than the
species richness peaks and again differed between the two groups sampled. In addition
one of the sites has revealed patterns not consistent with either the continuous gradient
hypothesis or the mid-domain effect. We suspect this discontinuity to be the result of
either anthropogenic perturbations or a disproportional influence of one tributary on
the system. EPT are commonly used as biomonitors to determine a stream’s heath based
on the diversity found. Although dance flies are not used as biomonitors presently, their
diversity should not be disregarded. Empididae, which is only one family, had a species
list comparable in number to the species lists of the three aquatic orders combined. This
diversity is staggering. In the identifying process, a few Empididae were found that had not
yet been described. Help from experts is being used to confirm this and describe them.
Sex-related Discrepancies in the Nursing Profession
Elizabeth C. Castillo, Mallory B. Forsberg, Jill S. Kimball, Bradley J. Ray, and Jeff S. Rhea
(Mikaela Dufur), Brigham Young University
AM Poster Session, Easel 44
As women have entered the workforce in greater numbers, blatant evidence of gender
based prejudices have become increasingly obvious. These sex based discrepancies are
pervasive throughout the United States and can be seen in the disparities that exist in
wages and promotions between men and women. In nearly all fields of work, men
continue to hold a disproportionate number of upper-level positions.
181
AM Poster Abstracts
In our research we sought to determine if this pattern holds true even in nursing, where
women make up the majority of the workforce. We examined hypotheses that tested
whether men will be over represented in administrative positions in the nursing profession
and whether sex will still be significant as it pertains to wage in the nursing profession,
after controlling for experience and positions. To test our hypotheses we used the National
Sample Survey of Registered Nurses that is collected by the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, a mail-based survey that has been collected approximately every four
years since 1977.
Regarding the hypothesis that men are overrepresented in administrative positions
in nursing, we ran a cross-tabulation and found men are not overrepresented. There
were 107 men in our study in administrative positions, when we would expect 127
men in administrative positions. Surprisingly, we discovered that men are nearly twice
as represented in specialization. Regarding our hypothesis that men receive higher
compensation than women, we have discovered through linear regression that men receive
on average approximately $6,500 more in annual salary than women after controlling
for race, position, and education beyond the RN degree. Furthermore, interaction effects
demonstrate that men receive higher returns to experience than women do.
Methane Imaging Search for Planetary Mass Objects in Rho Ophiuchi
Sherene Higley (Karl E. Haisch Jr. and Mary Barsony), Utah Valley University
AM Poster Session, Easel 45
Outside our solar system, T dwarfs have the coldest photospheres that are currently
accessible to direct observation. With masses inferred to lie between ~10 and 60 times that
of Jupiter, these objects represent a class of object linking the properties of observable low
mass stars and brown dwarfs with those of unobservable extrasolar planets. Because of
their low photospheric temperatures, an understanding of the atmospheres of T dwarfs is
likely to yield important clues about the nature of giant planetary atmospheres. The cool
atmospheres of T dwarfs are rich in molecular gases, especially methane. In fact, strong,
broad methane absorption lines at near-infrared wavelengths represent the distinguishing
feature of T dwarfs from hotter objects. Most T dwarfs have been discovered in large area
sky surveys, however recently astronomers have begun searching for T dwarfs in young
star clusters. Surveying young clusters has several advantages. First, low mass objects
are more luminous at this stage of their evolution than those in the field. In addition,
objects in clusters have well known ages, as opposed to field objects for which the ages are
extremely difficult to determine. Finally, as T dwarfs are 2-5 orders of magnitude brighter
when young, it allows them to be detected at greater distance. For these reasons, we have
recently conducted a methane imaging survey of the Rho Ophiuchi cloud for T dwarfs
using the IRIS2 imager on the Anglo Australian Telescope. The Rho Ophiuchi cloud is the
closest (d ~ 120 parsecs) star-forming region to Earth that has a compact core harboring
several hundred young (~ 1 Myr) stellar objects. In this poster, we present the results of our
imaging survey.
182
AM Poster Abstracts
Assessment of Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA Polymorphisms in Cyclura Carinata
Jace D. Hilton (Catherine L. Stephen), Utah Valley University
AM Poster Session, Easel 46
Cyclura carinata, a species of rock iguana, is confined exclusively to the Turks and Caicos
Banks. With an estimated 25 percent reduction in population size and approximately
30,000 living adults, this iguana is currently on the red list for endangered species
(IUCN, 2007). Prior research performed at Utah Valley University, revealed several
single nucleotide polymorphisms at the ND4 mitochondrial (mtDNA) locus within C.
carinata. In particular, the populations located in the western banks were shown to have
an especially divergent haplotype (10 base pair) compared to other populations (Bryan
et al., 2007). This data has inspired further research in order to assess whether or not this
divergence is ancient in origin. We approached the question by collecting DNA sequence
data at two nuclear loci (ribosomal protein 40 and ornithine decarboxylase) from each
of 20 populations across the range of the species and compared it to the mtDNA results.
The correlation between nuclear and mtDNA data sets indicates that the divergence of the
western banks populations is, in fact, ancient in origin. These results imply that C. carinata
would greatly benefit from the modification of current conservation efforts in order to
optimize conservation of genetic diversity among its populations, in the face of impending
habitat loss.
Hydrogen Production Through Electrolysis of Ammonia as an Efficient Alternative Energy Source
Adam C. Barley and Kirk R. Baxter (Kent Walker), Utah Valley University
AM Poster Session, Easel 47
Gas prices are rising, environmentalists are screaming for tighter restrictions on emissions,
and oil production has peaked. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the world
and can be used as a fuel for automobiles in a fuel cell application or through internal
combustion. Because of difficulties in storing compressed Hydrogen gas (H2) we
researched the method of electrolysis to source hydrogen from water (H2O) and ammonia
(NH3). Our electrolysis involved passing electric current through the medium of ammonia
and water to separate the molecules in the presence of various precious metals, i.e. gold,
platinum, rhodium, palladium, and iridium. We duplicated this process with differing
amperage amounts. The test results have shown that the volume of H2 from the NH3
source to be greater than that from H2O. We conclude that NH3 electrolysis can be a
viable option for on-demand H2 production, usable as an alternative and renewable fuel
without harmful emissions.
183
AM Poster Abstracts
Evolutionary Relationship Between Hyla arenicolor in the Slot Canyons of Zion National Park
Nikaela M. Aitken and Matthew C. Irvin (Curt Walker and David Jones), Dixie State
College
AM Poster Session, Easel 48
Isolated populations of species are thought to evolve differently, which may lead to
speciation. The canyon tree frog, Hyla arenicolor, lives in many different slot canyons in
Zion National Park; the slot canyons in the park are absolutely isolated by hundreds of
feet of rock cliffs and dry spans of desert. Because of the physical barriers and the assumed
isolation of the tree frogs, we are genetically testing to see if the frogs in the canyons are
evolving separately from one another. To do this we took a sample of DNA, which we
obtained by clipping a portion off the back right middle toe of each frog, toe number
III, following standard operating procedures set by the National Wildlife Health Center.
Genetic analysis is currently underway at Dixie State College, in the laboratory of Professor
David Jones. By examination of the genetic information provided by microsatellites
we will be able to see if evolution is currently operating on the frogs in the various slot
canyons. The microsatellite data could also provide clues that suggest which canyon frogs
are most closely related, revealing movement patterns of the frogs. Very little research of
this kind has been done on the Hyla arenicolor and no research of this kind has been
conducted in Zion National Park.
Calculating Efficiency Frontiers Through Computer Programming
Brian S. Bice (Kyle Wells), Dixie State College
AM Poster Session, Easel 49
Modern portfolio theory in financial securities research says that risky securities can be
efficiently combined in a portfolio reducing the overall risk of the portfolio. An efficiency
frontier can be created by allocating capital among these securities to minimize volatility
and maximize return. Creating complete efficiency frontiers by hand can be unreasonably
time consuming depending on the number of securities in a portfolio. As securities are
added, the number of calculations as well as the complexity of each calculation grows
exponentially. Additionally, modern PCs are limited to holding only a small fraction of the
results from the calculations in memory. I find that rather than calculating the complete
frontier, a much smaller rough estimate can be calculated quickly. From this rough
estimate, a fine tuned frontier can then be found by applying a hill climbing algorithm
and only storing optimal point calculations. Through the use of a hill climbing algorithm,
accurate efficiency frontiers, albeit not complete, can be found in a reasonable time even
for large portfolios containing many securities.
184
PM Poster Abstracts
Key: Title of Project, Student Presenter, (Mentor), School, Poster Session, Easel
Number
The Effects of Lactate, Atp, Ph, and Adrenergic Stimulation on Cultured Dorsal Root Ganglion
Cells
Cody Larson and Shane Hawthorne (Alan Light and Ron Hughen), University of Utah
School of Medicine
PM Poster Session, Easel 1
Many people struggle to complete the tasks of everyday life due to the debilitating
conditions known as Fibromyalgia (FMS) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome’s (CMS). The
lab utilizes PCR (polymerase chain reaction) for quantitative analysis of mRNA extracted
from white blood cells of patients suffering from fibromyalgia or CFS. The genes of most
interest include ASICs, P2Xs, and TRPV1, along with various cytokines that are present in
inflammation and associated muscle strain. Data has shown a significant change in mRNA
for the genes encoding the receptors of interest, thus the likely cause of wide spread pain
is due to the dysregulation of receptors. The most significant altered gene expression of
mRNA is the αlpha and βeta adrenergic receptors.
Current experiments include dissections on normal male C-57 black mice to extract Dorsal
Root Ganglion (DRG) cell from the lumbar region of the spinal column, which innervate
gastrocnemius hindlimb muscle. The approximate age of the mice has been between 2-3
weeks, as the lab has viewed this as the best age range for creating DRG cultures. Following
incubation these cells are analyzed microscopically using Fura-2 calcium imaging and
exposing the cultures to a metabolite series along with epinephrine, norepinephrine, and
antagonists of the α and β adrenergic receptors to better understand the role of adrenergic
substances. In one series of pilot experiments we applied terbutaline (a selective adrenergic
β2 agonist) to DiI labeled DRG neurons from a mouse inflamed with carrageenan. By
itself, terbutaline at pH 7.4 (100µM), activated very few DRG neurons. However, when this
same concentration of terbutaline was applied along with the normal metabolite series, we
found greatly enhanced activity.
Seismicity of the Oaxaca Segment of the Middle-American Subduction Zone
Kevin Jensen and, Timothy Carey, University of Utah; (Michael R. Brudzinski), Miami
University of Ohio; Enrique Cabral-Cano, Alejandra Arciniega-Ceballos, and Oscar DiazMolina, Instituto de Geofísica, U.N.A.M., Ciudad Universitaria, México; and D. Charles
DeMets, University of Wisconsin
PM Poster Session, Easel 2
Convergent plate boundaries generate potentially devastating great earthquakes when
tectonic stresses accumulate on the plate interface. The Oaxaca segment of the MiddleAmerica subduction zone offers an ideal opportunity for detailed studies of the plate
interface due to its relatively rapid convergent rates, unusual shallow subduction angle,
and ~50 km trench-to-coast distances that brings the seismogenic and transitional zones of
185
PM Poster Abstracts
the plate interface ~250 km inland. The short recurrence interval (decades) of megathrust
events also allows us to compare current seismicity to past events in detail to examine
the asperity and gap hypotheses to better characterize the seismic hazard. A network of
seven broadband three-component seismometers was deployed in summer 2006 over an
area of ~300 km west-east and 200 km north-south with nominal 80 km station spacing,
providing the means to examine seismicity in detail for the first time in this region.
We use the Antelope Software package to organize the first nine months of recorded
waveforms, perform analyst event detections, generate source locations, and compute local
magnitudes. We detected and located over 3000 earthquakes with this method. The bulk
of the earthquakes follow the coastline with these hypocenters clustering near the plate
interface, but we also detect a number of deeper (>40 km) intraslab earthquakes further
inland. The microseismicity we detect outlines the down-dip end of the seismogenic zone
near 25 km depth, consistent with the depth and inland extent of previous megathrust
events. When the seismicity is compared with other recent studies, we find a clear spatial
relationship that suggests a downward progression of deformation with the subducting
plate from interplate seismicity to slow-slip events to non-volcanic tremor to intraslab
earthquakes. We are also beginning to see temporal relationships between seismicity and
episodic tremor and slip, including a swarm of 50 earthquakes at the down-dip end of the
seismogenic zone with bursts of activity followed by pulses of non-volcanic tremor activity.
Mutation and Selection of a Highly Variable Mitochondrial Minisatellite
Heather M. McGirk (Jon Seger), University of Utah
PM Poster Session, Easel 3
Weakly selected mutations are expected to be an important source of fitness variation in
all species because theory says they should be common. However, they are difficult to
study because they do not have obvious phenotypes and they evolve as if neutral in small
populations where genetic drift is powerful. “Whale lice” are amphipod crustaceans that
spend their entire lives on whales. Right whales carry three species of whale lice which are
ideal subjects for the study of weakly selected mutations because their environment (right
whales) is simple and relatively unchanging, their populations are huge, and the northern
and southern hemisphere populations have been isolated for millions of years and therefore
serve as replicates of the same evolutionary “experiment.”
Our lab recently discovered an extremely polymorphic minisatellite locus in the
mitochondrial genome of the most abundant right whale cyamid (Cyamus ovalis).
Individual genomes have 3 to 12 tandem repeats of the 11-base-pair repeat unit
ATTTTTAAGAA. The distribution of repeat numbers is nearly identical in northern and
southern hemisphere populations, and many individuals have more than one repeat number
in their mitochondria. These patterns indicate that mutations to higher and lower repeat
numbers occur often and that natural selection on repeat numbers within the observed range
is fairly weak. However, the most common number is 3 and to date it is the only number
seen in other species. To understand how selection shapes the repeat-number distribution
in C. ovalis we are quantifying the repeat numbers of mothers and many of their offspring.
If we can determine the rates at which new repeat numbers arise, then we can infer how
selection acts to maintain the observed repeat-number distribution in C. ovalis.
186
PM Poster Abstracts
The Virtue of Death: Widow Suicide and the Feminine Consciousness in China and India
Caitlin G. McDonald (Janet Theiss), University of Utah
PM Poster Session, Easel 4
Widow suicide in China in the eighteenth-century created a “cult of chastity” around
dead women who represented ultimate virtue—following their husband even in death.
The Indian parallel is sati, the practice of women burning to death on their husbands’
funeral pyre. As in China, satis were worshipped as a kind of saint. These suicides were a
form of expression and liberation for these women living under patriarchal expectations.
Paradoxically, however, the identities of the widows often became lost in the uproar over
their deaths.
Chinese literature and poetry written by women have become the best representations of
their position. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, female writing provided insight into their
lives and deaths. Indian satis differ in this respect. Indian sati is less well documented
because of its occurrence across classes and because women themselves were usually
illiterate. The defense of and resistance to sati became a discourse between educated men;
the issue has only become championed by women in recent years.
Similarities and differences between cults encouraging suicide imply parallels of societal
pressure on Chinese and Indian women. The irony is that motivation for women to
commit suicide objectified them more, becoming symbols for larger debates; feminism,
modernity, and traditionalism. The construction of the feminine consciousness is an
ongoing issue as historians discover the importance of women’s history in the larger
picture of globalization. The remnants of patriarchal ideals permeate how history was
written and our own understanding of gender identities today. Using sources from
women’s poetry, male accounts and memorials, and foreign reports and criticisms, my
research attempts to highlight the lives of women whose voices are often missing from
contemporary discourse.
Conantokins from Conus bocki are NR2D Selective Nmdar Antagonists
Randall J. Platt (Baldomero M. Olivera), University of Utah
PM Poster Session, Easel 5
Pharmacologically active peptides from venom ducts of predatory cone snails (genus
Conus) have potential therapeutic effects towards neurological disorders. Conantokins
are one type of peptide found in Conus venom ducts that are functionally characterized
to be N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists. NMDA receptors are a class of
ionotropic glutamate receptors located in the brain and play a role in learning, memory,
development, pain, and long term potentiation. Conantokins have been promising
therapies for pain, epilepsy, and stroke. The NMDA receptor is a heterotetramer consisting
of two NR1 subunits and two NR2 subunits. There are four different NR2 subunits (NR2A,
NR2B, NR2C, and NR2D) each encoded by different genes, but only one gene encodes the
NR1 subunit. The main factor limiting the use of NMDA receptor antagonists as therapies
is the lack of selectivity for specific subunit combinations.
In this work, we have characterized novel conantokins from Conus bocki. Our
187
PM Poster Abstracts
electrophysiological assays show that conantokins-BK2, -BK4, and -BK6 from Conus bocki
are NMDA receptor antagonists that display a unique selectivity for the NR2D subunit.
The NR2D subunit is located primarily in the striatum which is the major input station of
the basal ganglia and functions in planning and modulation of motor pathways. Selective
NR2D receptor antagonists like the conantokins found in Conus bocki could potentially
be used as therapeutics and neuroprotection for pathologies such as Parkinson’s disease
linked to the dysfunction of the striatum.
Studying the Effects of Proline Analogs on Ligand Structure and Selectivity in the Asymmetric
Addition of Allyl Bromide to Carbonyls
Karisa B. Snow (Matthew S. Sigman), University of Utah
PM Poster Session, Easel 6
The relationship between the structure of a ligand and its effect on enantioselectivity
has always been intriguing. Even with recent advances in this area of research, much is
still unknown about the orientation of a ligand in situ. Presently, to develop an effective
asymmetric catalyst for a particular reaction, an extensive and time intensive evaluation of
many chiral ligands must be undertaken. This results from a limited understanding (based
upon qualitative observation and theory only) of what comprises an effective catalyst. In
order to elucidate the factors that influence selectivity in asymmetric reactions, we have
studied the Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi allylation reactions and designed a modular ligand class.
We have found that changes made at the proline module of the ligand significantly affects
enantioselectivity as well as facial bias. My current research focuses on making systematic
changes at this site and determining the effects on enantioselectivity. Synthesis of two
ligands, each with a derivatized 4-position of proline, suggest that derivatization at this site
has little affect on selectivity. Synthesis of two additional ligands, each with a proline ring
increased or decreased by one carbon, resulted in significant changes in enantioselectivity.
This led to the hypothesis that the proximity of the carbon nearest the Boc group
influences whether and how it is situated in the reaction pocket. Currently, the synthesis of
ligands with varying proximity of carbons to the Boc group is being undertaken. Successful
completion of this study will provide a greater understanding of the structure of our ligand
during the reaction. Thus, effective catalysts can be more easily synthesized to facilitate
desired enantioselectivity under this reaction manifold.
Affirming Equity: Creating Access to College Careers Among First-generation Students and
Students of Color in Elementary Schools
Carla M. Suarez and Shontol Torres Burkhalter (Theresa A. Martinez), University of Utah
PM Poster Session, Easel 7
Research reveals substantial barriers to educational access for first generation students
and students of color across the nation. Students of color and first-generation students
lack adequate access to and preparation for institutions of higher education. For example,
studies find that many schools with significant populations of underserved students do not
188
PM Poster Abstracts
have college career and college awareness programs because of limited resources such as
time, budget, and equipment. These studies suggest that making students aware of college
careers provides students with activities for achieving self-esteem and helps to answer
questions such as “Who am I?” and “Where am I going?”. In addition, raising awareness of
college careers enhances students’ familiarity with many professions. Having these findings
in mind, the objective of this project is to introduce careers that require a college degree to
third grade students from two elementary schools in a Western state. Each of the schools
chosen for the study has statistically high percentages of students who access free-lunch
programs as well as significant percentages of students of color enrolled in the schools. The
purpose of the project is to foster awareness of college professions and interest in pursuing
a college degree among the third grade students. A pre-survey and post survey will be given
at the beginning and end of the project to see if there is an increased interest in college and
a college education among the third graders.
The Protective Properties of Selenium in Apoptotic Cell Death: Discerning Underlying Mechanisms
and Their Potential for Pharmacological Intervention
Lindsey Kolette Roper (Brian Avery), Westminster College
PM Poster Session, Easel 8
Apoptosis, or genetically programmed cell death, is an important part of nervous
system development. Neurons are initially overproduced in the developing brain.
Nerve cell survival is dependent upon strengthening of synaptic connections through
constant signaling events. Nerve cells that do not form strong connections are pruned
out of the nervous system allowing other neurons to better consolidate and strengthen
existing connections. Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s,
and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis have been linked to unchecked apoptotic signaling.
Apoptotic signaling in instances of Alzheimer’s, especially, will soon become an economic
crisis if better means of prevention and treatment are not found.
The proposed project attempts to identify important cell signaling components of
apoptosis by blocking the apoptotic pathway in the nervous system of developing
zebrafish using required dietary elements. Selenium, a naturally essential trace mineral, has
been shown to reduce cell death in instances of apoptotic signaling in nerve cell cultures.
However, selenium’s specific means of action is currently unknown. The experimental
methodology provides a quantitative analysis of selenium’s ability to silence the apoptotic
signal. This information could then provide grounds for further research in the areas of
pharmaceutical treatment and intervention.
189
PM Poster Abstracts
Improving Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Protocol
Anna Testa, Spencer Barton, Justin Carrell, Kevin Foy, and Karena McDonald (Sherri
Tesseyman), Westminster College
PM Poster Session, Easel 9
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a life-threatening pathogen. Not
only does it colonize healthy individuals, but infection with MRSA increases the mortality
and morbidity of the sickest clients within the health care system. Currently, clients with
MRSA infections are treated with standard precautions, which include hand hygiene and
contact isolation, after their infection is identified by passive measures, such as overt
illness. Current research suggests that by adopting the MRSA Bundle, a rigorous program
which consists of active surveillance (i.e. nasal swabbing), aggressive hand hygiene
practices, strict contact precautions, and cultural transformation, the incidence of MRSA
infections can be reduced and client mortality and morbidity will be improved. In order to
evaluate the current practice for MRSA prevention and treatment as compared to the MRSA
Bundle we reviewed four studies and one meta-analysis, which surveyed forty-six studies.
The results of these studies suggest that by implementing the MRSA Bundle, health care
workers and facilities can significantly reduce MRSA infections. These studies detail the
necessity for more aggressive surveillance and treatment of clients who are colonized and
infected with MRSA.
Classism, Socioeconomic Status, and Emotional Responses on College Campuses
Austin P. Hudson (Cathleen Power), Westminster College
PM Poster Session, Easel 10
Social class and the interactions between different social classes are among the most valid
predictors of success in academic settings (Walpole, 2003). The negative form of this
interaction is classism, which on college campuses has been linked to psychological wellbeing, academic/ social adjustment and feelings of belonging to one’s school (Langhout,
2007). The present study investigated whether a previous study conducted by Langhout
(2007) which assessed classism at academic institutions could be replicated at another
institution in a different geographic region of the country. Further, the study investigated
additional factors in an attempt to better understand the connections between classism
and student outcomes. Recent research into inter-group relations has indicated that
emotion plays an important role in the maintenance of social inequity. (Power, Cole, &
Fredrickson, in preparation). As such, the study hypothesized that loneliness contributes
to the relationship between classism and psychological well-being. Undergraduate students
at Westminster College were given multiple measures assessing social class, perceived
classism, and their emotional responses in order to investigate emotion as a possible
mitigating factor. It was hypothesized that participants who reported more incidents of
perceived classism would also report more negative emotions compared to students who
reported little or no perceived classism.
190
PM Poster Abstracts
Thermostability of the CheY Protein in Thermophilic Bacteria
Colby S. Duncan (William Deutschman), Westminster College
PM Poster Session, Easel 11
The CheY proteins from many strains of bacteria have been isolated in order to study the
thermostability of these proteins. The proteins which have been studies so far are mainly
isolated from mesophiles and from one moderate thermophile, Thermatoga maritima.
Studying the CheY from an extreme thermophile will extend our understanding of how
thermostability evolves in bacterial proteins. One of these bacteria, Pyrococcus abyssi, is
found in deep sea vents at temperatures over 100oC. The CheY protein has never been
expressed in the laboratory but it will make an excellent model system for studying the
determinants of protein stability at very high temperatures. The primary structure of CheY
in P. abyssi is very closely related to that of T. maritima. This means that relatively few
changes in the primary structure of the protein result in a large increase in thermostability.
By comparing these two closely related proteins, it will be much easier to study the
mechanisms behind thermostability. The CheY gene was cloned from P. abyssi genomic
DNA and now needs to be inserted into a vector for expression. It will be inserted into
the pET-22b(+) vector, and the protein will then be expressed and purified. Once isolated,
the free energy of unfolding of the P. abyssi CheY protein will be determined in order to
compare it to CheY isolated from other thermophiles. This comparison will help to better
understand the sources of stability for these thermophilic proteins.
Regulation of Stress Gene Expression During Brine Shrimp Development and After Treatment with
Selenium
Thomas Paresi (Brian Avery), Westminster College
PM Poster Session, Easel 12
The brine shrimp, Artemia franciscana, that inhabits the Great Salt Lake (GSL) in Utah is
an important food source for migratory birds and is extensively used in aquaculture. In
order to better understand these resilient animals that thrive in water three times saltier
than the ocean, we are studying their response to environmental stresses in the lab.
We have chosen to study the regulation of thioredoxin pathway genes since their gene
products are involved in detoxifying selenium in other organisms. Our hypothesis was
that the expression of some thioredoxin pathway genes in Artemia would be increased
in response to selenium treatment. To test our hypothesis, we used quantitative reverse
transcriptase polymerase chain reaction to measure the level of several different mRNAs
during normal Artemia development and in selenium treated developing Artemia. We will
present our preliminary results. In the future we will continue to examine the regulation
of thioredoxin pathway genes and other stress response genes in Artemia in order to better
understand the genetic mechanisms that allow these resilient animals to survive the harsh
waters of GSL and deal with pollutants in their environment.
191
PM Poster Abstracts
Transnational Migration’s Effects on Ejidos of Southeast Mexico
Dani Babbel (Claudia Radel), Utah State University
PM Poster Session, Easel 13
Rural communities in central Campeche, Mexico have recently experienced an upsurge in
outmigration. Immigrants have mostly been male household-heads seeking higher wages
in North American industries. This study examined two different ejidos both characterized
by a reliance on agriculture, particularly the cultivation of maize and chili. Interviews
were conducted throughout these communities to shed light on migration’s effects on
patterns of land use as well as gender-based divisions of labor. The study took place in the
neighboring La Virgencita and La Guadelupe which both exhibited very different overall
responses to the migration phenomenon.
Discovering Metabolic Networks of Bovine Fertilization
Erin Young (Lee Rickords), Utah State University
PM Poster Session, Easel 14
At the time of fertilization a dramatic change occurs in the oocyte that turns this cell
from a metaphase arrested state into a metabolically active and dynamic state. Biological
processes are no longer thought of in the simple terms of DNA to RNA, RNA to
proteins, and proteins to final activity. It is now known that many biological processes
involve interconnected networks and feedback loops in which DNA, RNA, proteins,
and metabolites perform specific roles. We hypothesized that there are unknown key
metabolites and related pathways that are critical to normal mammalian fertilization and
embryonic development.
The key objective of this research project was to study the metabolic profiles of unfertilized
oocytes and fertilized zygotes to find the differences in the concentration and flux of key
metabolites. The view of the flow of biological processes within organisms has shifted
from that of a linear path to a more complex network. Examining the differences in
the flux of metabolites between the unfertilized oocyte and fertilized zygote provides
evidence for which metabolic pathways are important during fertilization. Changes in
metabolite utilization and presence were assessed by detecting both metabolite flux and
concentration (pool) differences within unfertilized bovine oocytes and in vitro fertilized
zygotes. Metabolites were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
(GC/MS). The flux of these metabolites was detected by the use of heavy water (2H2O)
labeling. The integration of the study of both metabolite flux and pools will allow a better
determination of active pathways in these developmental stages. Further, differences in
metabolite pools pre- and post-fertilization may be used as intracellular biomarkers of
normal embryonic development.
192
PM Poster Abstracts
Body Composition Analysis: Species Dependent Obesity Susceptibility in OM and S5B Rats
Heather Curtis (Tim Gilbertson and Dane Hansens), Utah State University
PM Poster Session, Easel 15
Osborne-Mendel (OM) and S5B rats are prime candidates for dietary-induced obesity
studies given their respective dietary fat-sensitive and dietary fat-resistant phenotypes.
Acquisition of strongly obesity-prone OM and strongly obesity-resistant S5B breeders is
important for the development of breeder colonies in obesity studies. Twelve male and
twelve female rats consisting of 6 OM and 6 S5B species each, were placed on a high
fat diet (60 percent dietary fat) for 14 days. To determine change in body composition,
rats were weighed and subjected to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on the start and
end dates of the study. Analysis validated expected obesity-prone and obesity-resistant
characteristics of OM and S5B rats. In general, OM rats had higher food intake implying
higher dietary fat preference than their S5B counterparts. Interestingly, there was a greater
disparity between dietary fat intake of OM and S5B rats when comparing males and
females. Furthermore, OM rats showed a greater percentage of body fat gain than S5B
rats even when similar overall weight gain was observed. Based on analysis of percent fat
composition change, the two most true breeding OM (highest percent fat change) and S5B
(lowest percent fat change) specimens were selected for breeding.
Wildfire Soil Bioremediation
James Neiswender (Anne Anderson), Utah State University
PM Poster Session, Easel 16
A serious long-term effect of wildfire damage is the change in soil to become water
repellent. This hydrophobicity is due to the deposition of toxic Polycyclic Aromatic
Hydrocarbons (PAHs) generated as the organic material burns, which causes the soil
layer to become impervious to water and the particles to become slippery leading to
slope failure, water erosion and mudslides. Additionally the PAH’s are toxic and may
contaminate run off waters, introducing them into the food chain. Some fire-site soils are
found to reduce hydrophobicity quickly, while other take years and some may never fully
recover. The mechanisms accounting for remediation and the reasons behind the vastly
different time schedules are unknown. Our goal has been to determine if there are biotic
factors involved in the remediation process. We have found several strains from Utah
wildfire site soils in Logan Canyon and at Milford which have proven capable of degrading
pyrene, a common PAH. Using the polymerase chain reaction technique to amplify and
then sequence the 16s ribosomal subunit DNA, we will identify the isolates. These strains
along with known PAH-degraders will be added to test soils to measure how well they can
grow in and restore soil to its natural state. It is possible that such bacteria may be used
at fire sites to hasten the loss of hydrophobicity and thus reduce slope failure and run off
water contamination.
193
PM Poster Abstracts
Experimental Design for Biological Engineering
Jay D. Jones (Richard Cutler), Utah State University
PM Poster Session, Easel 17
For researchers to obtain meaningful data from experiments they must first have a sound
statistical design first. Research on this topic was done as an interdisciplinary project with
the Utah State University’s USTAR Bio-fuels project. Proper statistical designs were created
for a variety of different research in this project. It is the goal of an experimental design
to protect against possible confounding factors so the role of the variables included in
the experiment can be shown with certainty. The process of determining a design for an
experiment involves the researcher determining what variables would be useful to test,
then discussing with a statistician what other factors could affect the results and how they
will be controlled for or randomized. Once the factors of the experiment are settled upon,
the researchers and statistician discuss logistics of the design in order to efficiently obtain
information and to see what adjustments need to be made to the model. Once the data
is available, diagnostic tests for standard statistical assumptions are carried out, and then
methods of analysis appropriate for the particular design are implemented. The designs
used for this research primarily come from Gary W. Oehardt’s book “A First Course in
Design and Analysis of Experiments.” These methods were employed for two specific
experiments whose data is available: An experiment testing different methods of extracting
omega fatty acids from a fungus, and an experiment testing the affects of light intensity,
and light type (i.e. artificial vs. natural) on algae growth in flat panel reactors.
Signaling Properties of AGS1 and Rhes
Jeffrey Davis (Brett Adams), Utah Sate University
PM Poster Session, Easel 18
Activator of G protein Signaling 1 (AGS1) and Ras homologue enriched in striatum
(Rhes) are recently-identified monomeric G proteins. Previous studies suggest that AGS1
selectively influences Gai proteins, whereas Rhes selectively influences Gas proteins.
Here, we show that AGS1 and Rhes trigger similar modulation of N-type Ca2+ channels
(CaV2.2) by altering Gai-dependent signaling. Whole-cell currents were recorded from
HEK293 cells expressing CaV2.2 and Gai- or Gas-coupled receptors. AGS1 and Rhes
reduced basal current densities and triggered tonic voltage-dependent (VD) inhibition
of CaV2.2. Furthermore, each protein attenuated agonist-initiated channel inhibition
through Gai-coupled receptors without reducing channel inhibition through a Gascoupled receptor. The above effects of AGS1 and Rhes were blocked by pertussis toxin
(PTX) or by expression of a Gbg-sequestering peptide (masGRK3ct). Transfection with
several other monomeric G proteins failed to mimic the effects of AGS1 and Rhes. Our
data demonstrate, for the first time, that AGS1 and Rhes both trigger tonic Gbg signaling
by PTX-sensitive G proteins and both attenuate Gbg-dependent signaling by receptors
coupled to PTX-sensitive G proteins. These results suggest that AGS1 and Rhes modulate
Ca2+ influx through N-type channels under physiological conditions and thereby
influence Ca2+-dependent events such as neurosecretion.
194
PM Poster Abstracts
An Interactive Approach to Statistics Education Using Virtual Manipulatives
Jonathan J. Call, Adelle M. Curtis, and Jay D. Jones (Kady Schneiter), Utah State University
PM Poster Session, Easel 19
In recent years, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has placed
increased focus on the use of technology in mathematics education. Also, the Utah
state core curriculum has incorporated statistics in every mathematics course in
secondary education. We created resources to help mathematics educators adapt to these
developments. This project provides activities where students can learn statistical concepts
through research supported inquiry based teaching methods. These enjoyable activities
include instruction of statistical concepts centered on interactive technology. This project
provides teachers with easily accessible quality lesson plans and materials to enhance
student learning. As statistics instruction improves, students will be better prepared for
their various fields of study and develop statistical literacy.
Vocal Quality Changes: The Effects of an Inversion Table on Singers
Karlie Rhodes Ady (Cindy Dewey), Utah State University
PM Poster Session, Easel 20
For centuries voice teachers have understood the relationship between posture and singing.
Without correct body alignment, especially the lengthening the spine, the perception of
the effort required to sing is increased and there are evident changes in vocal production.
More specifically, previous studies have shown that increased activity in the muscles of
the neck result in decreased perception of beauty of tone and increased perception of
effort by the singer. When students are instructed to improve their posture, particularly
by lengthening the spine, they often inadvertently increase muscle activity in the neck.
Therefore, the inversion table aids students in learning the sensation of an elongated
spine through a passive means (gravity). In addition, inversion may prove beneficial
even for singers with good alignment as the natural product of the pull of gravity over
time is compression of the vertebrae. For our purposes, the passive nature of the study is
especially important because of singer’s natural tendency towards a hyperkinetic state of
the neck. Once this posture has been learned, the students’ muscle memory will be able to
relocate the desired elongated posture. In this repeated-measures study, we hypothesized
a difference in voice quality perception both by the sample and an educated panel when
singers use the inversion table prior to performance versus a performance without the
previous elongation.
A Search for Ideological Identification Bias in CBS and ABC Nightly News Coverage of United
States Senators, 1991-2000
Katherine Reeve (James Strickler), Utah State University
PM Poster Session, Easel 21
Anecdotes and advocacy dominate the debate over whether media coverage of American
politics is tainted by ideological bias. But rigorous scientific examination of the question is
deeply problematic, due to the inherently subjective nature of defining what media actions
195
PM Poster Abstracts
can be called “biased.” We deal with this problem by combining two sets of admittedly
subjective rankings— from the liberal ADA and the conservative ACU—to create a single
“objective” measure of the ideological positions of members of the United States Senate.
We then compare this objective measure to ideological labels applied (or not applied) to
members of the Senate on two national network evening newscasts over a 10 year period.
We coded nearly 6,500 story references, looking for how frequently ideological labels
were applied (or misapplied) on these broadcasts to Senators of varying ideological
positions. Our examination reveals how often these sources applied ideological labels,
what labels were most commonly used, and to what groups and individuals they
were most often applied. Clear patterns emerge in our findings which provide a more
objective, scientifically reliable measure of systematic media bias than measures found in
many other studies.
Knowledge of Coumadin Use in Atrial Fibrillation Patients
Krista S. Viau, Heidi Moss, and Jessica Oliver (Megan Bunch), Utah State University
PM Poster Session, Easel 22
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common observed arrhythmia in clinical practice. Over
the next decades, the number of people affected by AF is estimated to be anywhere from
5.6 million to more than 12 million. In patients with AF, thromboembolism is a central
concern, as it can lead to stroke, with significant morbidity and mortality. Coumadin
anticoagulation has been shown to significantly reduce stroke risk, particularly in patients
with other risks, such as hypertension, diabetes, prior stroke, or heart failure. Although
Coumadin is effective in reducing stroke, its chronic use require frequent internationalized
national ratio (INR)/protime monitoring. There can be numerous interactions of food
and medication in patients using Coumadin. In addition, Coumadin caries with it the
major concern of intracranial bleeding. Consequently, identifying knowledge deficits
related to Coumadin use is critical to improving patient outcomes. This study took
place at Intermountain Medical Center, Murray, Utah, in collaboration with Utah State
University, Logan, Utah. Patients with known AF, who were receiving treatment from
the Utah Heart Clinic (n=100), were asked to complete a questionnaire one time. The
data thus obtained was analyzed to identify any knowledge deficits related to Coumadin
use. Furthermore, the data was stratified by stroke risk in order to identify differences
in knowledge between stroke patients and non-stroke patients. It was found that stroke
patients had less knowledge related to Coumadin use than non-stroke patients. This is of
great clinical significance since stroke patients have increased risk for thromboembolism
and intracranial bleeding as compared to their non-stroke counterparts. Education must
target AF stroke patients in order to improve outcomes in the future.
196
PM Poster Abstracts
The Discounted Cash-flow Model and the Cost of Common Equity
Nicholas L. Rupp and Craig A. Maughan (J. Robert Malko), Utah State University
PM Poster Session, Easel 23
The primary purpose of this paper is to present and explain the basic theoretical
framework of and implementation issues associated with the discounted cash flow (DCF)
method for estimating the cost of common equity of a regulated energy utility. This paper
is organized in the following manner: first, the basic framework of the DCF method is
explained; second, the DCF method is evaluated by applying defined and workable criteria;
and third, application issues associated with applying the DCF model to estimating the
cost of common equity for energy utilities are examined. Specifically, information from the
Utah Public Service Commission will be used in the analysis of implementation issues.
The Quality of Customer-feedback Mechanisms: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Retail Comment
Cards
Nikelle Holbrook (Ken Bartkus), Utah State University
PM Poster Session, Easel 24
Customer feedback is important to retailers because it provides them with a means to
assess and improve service quality. As such, retailers routinely solicit feedback through a
variety of mechanisms including formal surveys, focus groups, personal interviews, and
customer comment cards. Of these, the comment card is one of the most common. Its
popularity can be attributed to its ability to provide regular, timely feedback at, or near,
the time of service. In this way, comment cards are uniquely positioned to identify critical
incidents (both good and bad) in an efficient manner. Unfortunately, if comment cards
are poorly designed, the resultant data will be of little value. Although prior research has
demonstrated that comments cards often contain flaws, these studies were limited by the
use of (1) small samples, (2) inappropriate guidelines, and/or (3) samples restricted to a
single industry. To overcome these limitations, this study utilizes appropriate guidelines
to evaluate comment cards from a large, cross-sectional sample of retail establishments
including hotels, restaurants, department stores, grocery retailers, medical centers,
shopping malls, and discount stores. The results indicate that comment cards are often
flawed including, ironically, not having enough space for writing comments. Managerial
implications are provided.
Phytosiderophore Exudation from the Roots of Kentucky Bluegrass
Emily A. Buxton and Ryan C. Christensen (Bryan G. Hopkins and Von D. Jolley), Brigham
Young University
PM Poster Session, Easel 25
Some Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) cultivars are susceptible to iron (Fe)
deficiency chlorosis when grown on calcareous soils and are routinely treated with Fe
fertilizers. Aesthetics could be improved and this costly practice could potentially be
197
PM Poster Abstracts
eliminated with the use of cultivars resistant to Fe deficiency. Grasses are known to release
phytosiderophore into the rhizosphere to dissolve Fe for plant use, and this characteristic
has been used to screen for resistant cultivars with other species. A chelator-buffer
hydroponic study was conducted to stress Baron, Award, Limousine, and Rugby II cultivars
at 1 and 10 µM Fe in complete nutrient solution buffered at pH 7.4. Shoot and root yields
were significantly greater at 10 than 1 µM Fe for all cultivars. The cultivars other than Baron
had similar and consistent increases in chlorosis at 1 µM Fe and nearly no chlorosis at
10 µM Fe. Baron was significantly different than the other cultivars in that it developed
chlorosis earlier and more severely at both levels of Fe, although chlorosis at 10 µM Fe
was not as severe as 1 µM Fe for this cultivar. In addition, Baron exhibited re-greening at
the 10 µM Fe. Phytosiderophore exudation was significantly greater for all cultivars at 1
than at 10 µM Fe. Surprisingly, the apparently Fe chlorosis susceptible Baron cultivar not
only released phytosiderophore, but released it at a significantly higher level than the
other cultivars. These results imply that Fe deficiency susceptibility in Kentucky bluegrass
may be related to inefficient uptake mechanisms rather than production and release of
phytosiderophore.
Reliability of a Sitting and a Prone Neck Extensor Endurance Test
Jacqueline P. Carpenter and Jessica Richardson (A. Wayne Johnson), J. William Myrer,
J. Brent Feland, and Matthew K. Seeley, Brigham Young University
PM Poster Session, Easel 26
Purpose/background: Neck pain impacts function and productivity and is a common reason
why individuals seek medical care. There is a need for an objective neck function test. This
study investigated the reliability of a sitting and a prone neck extensor endurance test.
Methods: 38 subjects (23 years ±0.27) signed an IRB approved informed consent. Subjects
had no neck pain as indicated on the neck disability index. Subjects completed both
tests by random assignment and then completed one of the tests again to establish test
reliability. During the prone test, lying face down, the person held their head unsupported
against gravity. In the sitting test, subjects wore a head harness with a 15 pound weight
(men) or 12 pound weight (women) suspended via a pulley system against gravity. They
held these positions as long as possible or until their neck flexed 5 degrees. During both
tests electromyography was done to monitor fatigue of muscles. Hold time and perceived
fatigue level were recorded for all tests.
Results: The prone test average hold time was 14 minutes and 38 seconds (S.D. ± 7
minutes and 30 seconds); while in the sitting test the average hold time was 6 minutes and
56 seconds (S.D. ± 2 minutes and 38 seconds). The correlation between repeated prone
tests was r=0.74 and between repeated sitting tests was r=0.81. There was a significant
difference in hold time between the tests (p<0.0001).
Conclusion: Both tests had moderate to good reliability. The sitting test is performed in a
functional position, is of shorter duration, and easily set-up, and thus clinically useful.
198
PM Poster Abstracts
Does Foreign Aid Deteriorate All Recipient States’ Quality of Governance?
Janessa L. Sarmiento (Daniel Nielson), Brigham Young University
PM Poster Session, Easel 27
Much foreign aid is designed to stimulate social and economic development. Donors
often give aid to recipient states as an initiative to develop and reform. The basis for
much aid may be well intentioned; however, the presence of aid can produce destructive
incentives. Prior research shows a strong correlation between aid and a deteriorating
effect on the quality of governance. This paper further analyzes the correlation between
aid and corruption; it specifically explores the possibility that the pre-existing conditions
of a government’s institutions impact this relationship. The design for this research uses
individual state’s averaged rankings of World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators
correlated to the total aid disbursement of Official Aid Assistance as a percentage of a GDP
per capita over the 1997-2007 annual intervals as variables. Regressions between the data
will show if institutions beginning with higher ranking in governance show significantly
different deteriorating effects of aid than states beginning with lower ranked governance
indicators. The findings of this research will also enable donor states to allocate aid funds
more efficiently, as they are able to establish the candidates that have less potential for
corruption and loss of funds. This research may thus help reveal solutions that may help
combat poverty.
Subtypes of Autism Based on Corpus Callosum Microstructure: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging and
Neuropsychological Study
Jared A. Nielsen, Nicholas T. Lange, Andrew L. Alexander, Jee E. Lee, Molly Dubray, and
Alyson Froehlich (Erin D. Bigler and Janet E. Lainhart), Brigham Young University
PM Poster Session, Easel 28
We observed evidence of autism subgroups based on white matter microstructure of
the total corpus callosum (CC) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) (Alexander et al
2007). The purpose of this new study was to further determine how the autism subgroups
differed from each other and from typical controls. We hypothesized that the abnormal
subgroup would show uniform abnormalities in radial diffusivity (Dr) in three callosal
subregions (genu, midbody, and splenium) and that these abnormalities would be related
to differences in measures of IQ and language.
Participants and Methods: We compared 3 Tesla DTI data and neuropsychological data
from the autism subgroup with abnormally low total CC fractional anisotropy (FA) and
high mean diffusivity (n=12) to the other autism group (n=12) and to typical controls
(n=12). The three groups were closely matched on age, sex, IQ, handedness, and head
circumference.
Results: The abnormal autism subgroup manifested abnormally high Dr and low FA
across the total corpus callosum as well as in three callosal subregions—genu, body, and
splenium. Full Scale IQ correlated significantly with the FA of the genu and splenium and
verbal memory correlated significantly with the FA of the splenium when the three groups
were combined. When examining CC DTI-neuropsychological relationships within groups,
the relationship between CC microstructure and neuropsychological function was different
in the autism subgroups in an unexpected way: the structure-function relationship in
199
PM Poster Abstracts
the DTI-abnormal autism group was similar to typically developing controls; the DTI“normal” group differed from both of these groups.
Conclusions : White matter microstructure of the CC appears to identify unique subgroups
of autism subgroups that have different relationships between brain structure and
function.
Decentralization and Aid Effectiveness: A Cross-national Study
Rebecca A. Perry (Daniel Nielson and Michael Findley), Brigham Young University
PM Poster Session, Easel 29
This study examines the extent to which the level of government decentralization
influences the effectiveness of foreign aid. In recent years, decentralization reform has
become increasingly widespread among developing nations. Previous studies have
examined the impact of administrative, political, and fiscal decentralization on economic
growth, levels of corruption, poverty alleviation, and other development outcomes.
While one camp of scholars emphasizes increased accountability, transparency, and
adaptation to local preferences as positive effects of decentralization, other scholars point
to inefficiency, corruption, and placement of ill-trained individuals in local leadership
positions as negative aspects of transferring power to sub-national governments. In this
ever-growing body of decentralization literature, no existing studies explicitly examine
the decentralization/aid effectiveness relationship. This study is the among the first to
empirically analyze the extent to which government level of decentralization (as measured
by sub-national share of total government expenditures) influences the effectiveness
of foreign aid in improving specific economic and human development outcomes (as
measured by per capita GDP and the Human Development Index). Drawing upon the
International Monetary Fund’s Government Finance Statistics and newly collected data
on all multilateral foreign aid projects worldwide from the Project Level Aid Database
(PLAID), this study estimates the impact of decentralization on aid effectiveness for a
sample of 57countries from 1975-1995.
ROC1 and ROC2: Interactions with the Nuclear Variant of BMP4
Ryan D. Cordner and Trina J. Loos (Laura C. Bridgewater), Brigham Young University
PM Poster Session, Easel 30
Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (Bmp4) is a growth factor involved in many developmental
processes including limb patterning, forebrain development, and skeletal development.
Our lab has recently discovered a novel nuclear variant of Bmp4 (nBmp4). In an effort to
determine the function of this nuclear variant, a yeast two-hybrid screen was performed.
The screen revealed that nBmp4 interacts with Regulator of Cullins 1 and 2 (ROC1 and
ROC2). ROC proteins are components of E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes, which help
confer substrate specificity to regulate the protein degradation process. ROC1 and ROC2
each have three distinct domains: the N-terminus, the RING finger, and the C-terminus. A
series of deletion constructs was tested in subsequent yeast-two hybrid assays, which were
performed to elucidate the domains within ROC1 and ROC2 that interact with nBmp4.
200
PM Poster Abstracts
The N-terminal domains of ROC proteins bind to the cullin component of E3 ubiquitin
ligases, and RING finger domains act as binding sites forE2 ubiquitin conjugating
enzymes. The results of the yeast two-hybrid assays suggest that ROC1 and ROC2 interact
with nBmp4 through their N-terminal and RING domains, respectively, suggesting that
nBmp4 may either function as an E3 ubiquitin ligase, an E2 ubiquitin conjugating enzyme,
or it may inhibit the binding of either to ROC proteins.
The Time Management Practices of University Students: A Time Log Analysis
David Richardson, Andrew S. Proctor, Ryan G. Johnson, Brandon S. King, and Scott D.
Lamb (Bruce L. Brown), Brigham Young University
PM Poster Session, Easel 31
Being successful academically is important to many college students. However, some
students struggle with the rigors of college academics. The purpose of this study is to
analyze time management practices of students to understand the relationship between
time use and academic success. It is hypothesized that there will be significant difference
in time use between students who struggle academically and students who excel
academically—namely that students excelling academically will spend more time outside
of class on academic pursuits. To collect data, university students will be recruited to fill
out a time log database set up in Microsoft Access. Participants will record their activities
for one complete week and on four separate days—most productive, most unproductive,
most pleasant and most unpleasant. They will also rate each half hour block of time
choosing from an adjective rating. Data has already been collected on a control group
of over 13 students who were on good academic standing. This data will be compared
to data of students who are on academic probation and students who are slightly above
the university cutoff for academic probation. The data will be analyzed to discover its
correlations and significance. Results could potentially provide beneficial information to
university advisors looking to assist student with academic success and students looking to
improve their academic success.
Local Ordinances that Promote Physical Activity
Tania L. Lounsbury, Trenton Robertson, and Jonathan P. Brooks (Shaunna K. Burbidge),
Brigham Young University
PM Poster Session, Easel 32
In 2003 the study Local Ordinances that Promote Physical Activity: A Survey of Municipal
Policies was published in the American Journal of Public Health. That Utah-based study
(1) identified types of municipal employees responsible for physical activity policies, (2)
identified municipal ordinances that influenced physical activity, and (3) determined local
governments’ intentions to implement policies.
In 2007, with assistance from the Utah Department of Health, we began a similar study.
Our objectives are to (1) determine the progress each of the 114 responding municipalities
from the 2001 study had made, (2) survey the municipalities that did not respond before,
201
PM Poster Abstracts
and (3) to expand, without comprising longitudinal comparability, the depth of data
gathered.
Our survey measures six physical activity domains: sidewalks, bicycle lanes, shared-use
paths, work sites, greenways, and recreational facilities. By comparing the 2003 results with
current measurements we expect to determine that most municipalities will have increased
the number of ordinances encouraging physical activity. Further, our results will facilitate
still more effective evidence-based public health decisions in Utah—thus maximizing the
benefit derived from limited staff and funding resources. In addition, we will scrutinize the
data in order to determine specific recommendations for city ordinances and methods of
implementation that exhibit the most potential for improving public health in Utah.
A Comparative Study of Uses of a Nabataean Tomb Platform
Thomasina I. Morris (David Johnson), Brigham Young University
PM Poster Session, Easel 33
The Nabataean civilization in the present day Jordan was a thriving hub of trade, religious
exchange, and funerary rituals, reaching its height during the first century A.D. During May
and June 2008, an archaeological excavation was conducted at one of the many rock-cut
tombs, No. 676, in Wadi Mataha, a large wash located on the outskirts of the capital city,
Petra. Excavations occurred outside the tomb, to establish what type of architecture existed.
This tomb has also been discussed by researchers in relation to the Soldier’s Tomb, located
in nearby Petra. It was speculated that tomb 676 most likely had an enclosed courtyard
structure, similar to those found elsewhere in Petra. However, evidence gathered during
the 2008 season shows that this is incorrect. (Schmid, Stephan “Nabataean Funerary
Complexes”)
A comparative study was also conducted concerning the use of the platform excavated.
Significant differences were discovered between the artifacts on the platform, and those
outside the exterior walls. These differences existed in ceramics and stone tools, as well
as luxury items. Ceramics varied in quantity, density, thickness of pottery, color of clay,
decoration, and uses. The analysis and examination of the contrasting features shows
that the platform was used for ritual purposes, while the outside of the wall was used for
dumping.
Phylogenetics Based on mtDNA and Nuclear DNA of the Dipsadines: A Clade of Neotropical
Colubird Snakes
Thomas H. Beckstead and Daniel G. Mulcahy (Jack W. Sites, Jr.), Brigham Young University
PM Poster Session, Easel 34
Snakes of the Neotropical subfamily Dipsadinae are poorly known from ecological and
phylogenetic perspectives, despite unique feeding adaptations and bizarre diets. Some
have specialized diets on snails and slugs, they are able to extract gastropods from their
shells (“goo eaters”). Others, such as the cat-eyed and blunt-headed vine snakes are rearfanged and prey on frogs and lizards. Previous studies found these rear fanged snakes
202
PM Poster Abstracts
formed a monophyletic group referred to as the Leptodeirini. A more recent phylogenetic
study based on mtDNA, found the Leptodeirini did not form a monophyletic group.
A hypothesis was presented where the goo eaters are recovered as a derived group of
dipsadines, and suggests that the evolution of the goo eaters was linked to the exploitation
of a new niche. In this study, we used six protein-encoding nuclear loci (515-905 bases)
selected from the Squamate Tree of Life project to test the mtDNA relationships, and to
see how these “slow evolving” loci perform at the generic level. Parsimony analyses found
three equal trees with slight differences. In the first, the rear-fanged snakes formed a clade
sister to the nightsnakes. In the second two trees the rear-fanged snakes clade was sister to
the goo eaters. The consensus tree shows this as an unresolved polytomy. Bayesian analyses
placed the rear-fanged snakes sister to the goo eaters, with low support. The nuclear data
provide a low level of signal likely overwhelmed by mtDNA when combined. The nuclear
data, do not support the monophyly of the traditional Leptodeirini. These new data rearrange the relationships among the basal, rear-fanged members of the Dipsadinae, which
support the adaptive radiation hypothesis for the goo eaters.
Phylogenetic Relationships Among Mesoamerican Bufonids
S. Tyler Williams (Jack W. Sites, Jr.), Brigham Young University
PM Poster Session, Easel 35
Understanding phylogenetic relationships among species is important in helping to direct
conservation efforts focused on protecting biodiversity. For instance, upland forests in
Mesoamerica (Central America) are becoming threatened because of increased human
populations. Many species occur in these upland areas and are isolated from their closest
relatives by lowland habitats. Knowing the phylogenetic relationships among species will
allow us to select representatives to focus efforts on in order to preserve the evolutionary
diversity of the group. Toads offer a unique opportunity to study natural history,
morphological variation, and biodiversity. There are many species of toads that exist
worldwide. They offer an array of chemical compounds which are used for defense, and
have a wide variety of reproductive and life history strategies. Amphibians are experiencing
global declines in populations and species numbers, which are largely caused by the recent
spread of a unique form of chytrid fungus. Understanding the evolutionary relationships
of toads before they experience more declines should be a top conservation priority.
In this study, we combine mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data with morphological
data to conduct phylogenetic analyses for most species of Mesoamerican bufonids. We
examine sequences from 46 individuals representing 27 species. Four outgroup taxa
from South America and one North American species were also included to “root” our
phylogenetic analyses. For the mtDNA, we have collected 568 base pairs (bp) of sequence
data of 16S and 420 bp of cyt b. The nuclear data consists of 717 bp from the CXCR4 gene
and 864 bp from the RAG1 gene. Our study will help us to answer evolutionary questions
such as monophyly of the B. valliceps and B. coccifer groups, genetic diversity of the
upland species, and an evolutionary framework for the entire group.
203
PM Poster Abstracts
Design and Construction of a Sustainable Restroom Facility for a Rural Mexican Schoolhouse
Wendy M. Thompson, Kyle J. Robe, and Paul A. Dixon (Brett Borup), Brigham Young
University
PM Poster Session, Easel 36
This project was the design and construction of an adobe restroom structure and
accompanying septic system servicing a primary school in the rural community of Roma
Texas, Durango, Mexico. Though the community has occupied the area for centuries, the
one-room schoolhouse stands alone as a recent government incentive to bring education
to this rural community. Classroom attendance, however, is almost nonexistent, possibly
for lack of a restroom for its teacher and few pupils. Consequently, three BYU students
joined with a local humanitarian organization set out to design and build a simple,
sustainable restroom. The design was completed after a period of extensive research on
materials and septic tanks. For the project to be replicable, it was essential that materials
chosen for the structure and septic tank be accessible in Roma, as well as inexpensive.
The design also had to be simple enough that it could be assembled by individuals
inexperienced with construction. Cement-treated adobe bricks were chosen for the
bathroom wall because they are commonly used in the area, can easily be produced, and
provide moderate year-round temperature control. A sustainable dual-vaulted septic tank
and leach field were chosen for waste disposal. The engineered concrete tank holds 330
gallons of waste water and is able to withstand the force of a two ton truck rolling over
its lids. Estimates suggest it will take ten years for fifteen students to fill the septic tank to
a degree which requires pumping. After two, week-long construction phases and over 30
volunteers from the U.S. and Mexico, the project was completed July 2008.
Characterization of the Painted Lubricant Coating on Barns Xlc Coated X Bullets
Josh Knapton, Klint Epperson, and Paul Lawrence (Gary H. Naisbitt), Utah Valley
University
PM Poster Session, Easel 37
Barns XLC Coated X-Bullets are made for the ammunition reloader enthusiast. The
solid copper bullets are distinguished by their blue coating that acts as a lubricant to
improve ballistic performance. Microscopic examination showed it to be a sprayed-on
single layer coating similar to automotive paint finishes. A diamond anvil and infrared
(IR) microscope were used to determine the IR spectrum that will be used for forensic
identification, and part of this spectrum identified polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as
one of the chemical components. The overall chemical composition was determined
by pyrolysis that was used to breakdown the solid matrix of the coating followed by gas
chromatography mass spectrometry to separate and identify the components.
When the bullet is fired, the coating is lost from the surfaces that come in contact with
the barrel, but the coating remains intact on the conical front portion of the bullet even
after target impact. Additionally, the heat, pressure and impact due to firing do not change
the chemical composition of the coating. Therefore, the infrared spectrum and chemical
composition that have been determined in this study can be used as a known standard of
204
PM Poster Abstracts
comparison to identify unknown bullets of this type that are found at a crime scene. This
information will be added to the ballistics knowledge base and used by forensic firearms
examiners for forensic identification.
Racecars on the Bonneville Speedway
Kevin A Petersen (Todd Low), Utah Valley University
PM Poster Session, Easel 38
The Utah Valley University race team has set out to accomplish the feat of having a 1969
Chevrolet El Camino, using alternative fuels, attain the speed of 200 mph. With research
attained in prior research seasons our accomplishment resides at 194 mph, very close
to attaining 200 mph. This year we initiated inquiry on various aspects of the vehicle to
determine possible challenges that inhibited reaching our final goal.
We started with aerodynamics, wind currents, and air pressure around the vehicle while
traveling down the track at high speeds. It was established that the data obtained would
be critical in increasing our progress six more miles per hour. We placed a total of eight
air pressure sensors around the vehicle in order to observe points of pressure and points
of negative pressure, both of which could be causing a slower speed. Testing was done by
completing passes down the track, first without any modifications, next with the addition
of an air dam, and followed with passes that had modifications to the tail gate, and
tonneau cover.
The anticipated results from our research are that with the increase of speed the sensors at
the front of the vehicle will continually increase in pressure, and the sensors at the rear of
the vehicle will continue to increase in a negative pressure. Our anticipated results with the
addition of the air dam is that pressure will decrease as a result of the air being diverted,
and with the modifications at the rear of the vehicle there will be increased negative
pressure, resulting in slower speeds. With the addition of this data assisting us to reach our
goal, we feel confident we are on the brink of accomplishment.
Gas Chromatograph Comparison of Biodiesel Made From Three Different Feedstocks
Jeff Kubalek (Kent Walker), Utah Valley University
PM Poster Session, Easel 39
With the emergence of biodiesel as a viable alternative fuel solution, one of the remaining
debates is the selection of the feedstock that competes least with other present uses, but with
comparable energy content of petroleum diesel. Using a CenTech scientific gas chromatograph
suited to test biodiesel for the ASTM D6584 standards, we tested biodiesel produced from
the following feed stocks: soy oil, canola oil, and safflower oil. We then compared results and
ranked the feed stocks against the number 2 properties of petroleum diesel.
205
PM Poster Abstracts
Math Education with the Lego Mindstorm
Suzanne B. Marchant (Elaine Tuft and Genan Anderson), Utah Valley University
PM Poster Session, Easel 40
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using the Lego Mindstorm
as a math manipulative. The student researcher addressed the following questions: 1.
Will using the Lego Mindstorm as a manipulative improve student understanding of
math concepts? 2. Will using the Lego Mindstorm as a manipulative improve student
awareness of the use of math in real-life situations? 3. Will using the Lego Mindstorm as a
manipulative improve student self-confidence in math concepts? For this study, a middle
school after school program was chosen where 15 students were enrolled, ranging from
special education to “A” students. A total of six 30-minute lessons were given over a period
of three weeks. Pre- and post-tests were administered to survey student understanding,
self-confidence, and awareness of real-life math use. The students were given a brief
introduction to building and program techniques, then challenged to create a Lego robot
that would use math concepts to travel a certain distance. Differentiation was provided
by allowing students to design the type of robot he or she felt comfortable in building.
Results of the study revealed that using the Lego Mindstorm as a math manipulative led
to an improvement in understanding of the targeted math concept, with corresponding
results in student self-confidence. Additionally, students showed an increase awareness of
the use of math in real-life situations.
The Role of Glycogen Metabolism in Glucuronidation of Methyumbelliferyl
Chad Edwards and J. Pickering (Glendon Parker), Utah Valley University
PM Poster Session, Easel 41
Glucuronidation, which occurs mainly in the liver, is a process that allows the human
body to make toxic substances soluble; allowing these substances to be eliminated from
the body. Methylumbelliferyl (MU) is a fluorescent chemical that is treated as a toxin
in human cells. When MU is introduced into human liver cells, the cells will proceed to
glucuronidate it in the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This inactivates the MU,
rendering it non-fluorescent. Glucuronidation requires a readily accessible source of
glucose, which is stored intracellularly in its polymeric form as glycogen. Glycogen is also
known to be functionally targeted to specific sub-cellular loci. Recent publications have
illustrated that a specific class of proteins targets glycogen to specific cellular membranes.
The hypothesis of this study is that the location and/or targeting of glycogen to the smooth
ER is a major factor in providing glucose for glucoronidation. This hypothesis will be
tested by measuring the rates of glucoronidation of MU in liver cells (HepG2) in the
presence and absence of inhibitors of glycogen metabolism.
206
PM Poster Abstracts
Eating Habits
Celisa Packer and Katie Bunnell (Grace Chou), Utah Valley University
PM Poster Session, Easel 42
The purpose of this research project is to determine the factors that contribute to
individuals eating habits. Interests arose in discussions about how individuals obtained
their said eating habits, thus leading to the question of whether or not our eating habits
are a product of our parent’s eating habits. We surveyed two hundred students on the
Utah Valley University campus, with approval from the IRB, to find out their eating habits
growing up compared to their eating habits in the present day. Factors include gender, age,
economic status, and physical activity level. We want to examine whether females are more
likely to follow the influence of their parent’s healthy eating behaviors more so than males.
We also want to know whether older adults, as opposed to younger adults, are more likely
to incorporate the healthy eating habits of their parents. In addition, we also want to see
whether those who grew up in a higher economic status were more likely to eat healthier
and then incorporate that into their own lives as they reached adulthood. Lastly, we also
want to examine whether those who participate in physical activities as a family were more
likely to incorporate healthy eating habits into their own adult lives. After finished our
data analysis, we believe that our data will shed light on these issues.
Identifying Ovarian Cancer-specific Claudin 16 Binding Peptides
Kasey R. Schuster (Colleen D. Hough), Salt Lake Community College
PM Poster Session, Easel 43
Claudin-16 is an epithelial junction protein highly over expressed in epithelial ovarian
carcinomas. My goal over the summer was to screen Claudin-16 outer membrane domains
against a phage display peptide library from which new ovarian cancer biomarkers could
be discovered. I subcloned the two outer membrane domains, EL1 and EL2, as well as
the complete Claudin-16 gene (Δ70) into the expression vector pET 51b. I then sequenceverified that the genes were in the correct reading frame and free of mutations. The
constructs were then transformed into competent cells (BL21 DE3 pLysS) that allows for
induction using a synthetic analog of lactose (IPTG). Due to the small size of the peptides,
I used tricine gels to visualize induction. Due to the small size of the EL peptides, I am
using tricine gels to verify protein overproduction. Once induction has been optimized,
I will purify the peptides on a nickel column using the His tag provided by the pET51b
vector. The purified proteins will then be used to screen against the phage display library to
identify Claudin 16 binding peptides for use as potential biomarkers or for drug delivery.
207
Index
A
Abbott, Ivy
24, 164
Aboud, Roger
26, 177
Adams, Brent L.
14, 114
Albertine, K.H.
7, 73
14, 111
16, 124
Anderson, Anne
Anderson, Barbara
13, 108
Anderson, Brian W.
6, 62
Anderson, Genan
Anderson, Karin
11, 98
2, 8, 19, 40, 63, 76, 135
Anderson, Ryan B.
24, 25, 163, 165
4, 51
Arciniega-Ceballos, Alejandra
Argyle, Daniel
Bartkus, Ken
3, 8, 31, 42, 80, 206
Anderson, Lawrence W.
3, 43
Argyle, Veronica B.
Armstrong, Stephen
Barnum, Tyler J.
12, 102
6, 64
28, 185
4, 17, 51, 126
6, 63
26, 177
27, 182
18, 131
26, 178
Bartholomew, Scott R.
10, 22, 88, 151
Anderson, Jennifer L.
27, 183
Barth, Brandon J.
19, 138
Anderson, Gae Lyn
11, 100
Barth, Bradley Call
29, 193
7, 12, 18, 69,
27, 181
Barnes, Connie K. Smith
Barsony, Mary
24, 162
Anderson, Caitlin
Bankhead, Elizabeth J.
Barrow, Jeffery R.
16, 124
Anderson, Amanda
1, 35
70, 101, 102, 128
Barley, Adam C.
15, 116
Amundsen, C.
1, 9, 37, 81
Bargeron, C. Brent
30, 199
Alvarado, Alejandro Sanchez
Alvord, J.
10, 93
Banchero-Kelleher, Angela
2, 39
Alexander, Andrew L.
iii
Baldwin, William C.
3, 43
Aldape, Melissa
29, 192
Baker, Wendy
16, 122
Albrecht-Crane, Christa D.
17, 125
Bahr, Timothy M.
16, 124
Albrecht, Carol
Allred, Bryce
Baeder, Jill
27, 184
Albertine, Kurt H.
28, 29, 189, 191
Babbel, Dani
14, 114
Aitken, Nikaela M.
26, 174
Babaoka, Julianne
13, 108
Ahmadi, Sadegh
12, 101
B
29, 195
Aeschbacher, Max
Ashton, Meredith
Avery, Brian
29, 194
Ady, Karlie Rhodes
3, 46
Asper, Kendall
5, 53
Adam, Mike M.
Adams, Brett
Ashbaker, Betty Y.
8, 78
12, 29, 104, 197
Bartlett, Jaime
1, 27, 36, 180
Barton, Spencer
28, 190
Bascom, Benjamin D.
13, 105
Basinger, Jason C.
3, 48
Bassis, Michael S.
i
Baxter, Bonnie
24, 163, 164
Baxter, Kirk R.
27, 183
Bean, Kirk
Beck, B.
17, 125
16, 124
Beck, Olin D.
10, 93
Beckett, Travis J.
208
15, 119
Index
Beckstead, Thomas H.
Belk, Mark
30, 202
Buendia, Ed
20, 145
Bell, John D.
10, 91, 93
Bennett, Sue
1, 35
9, 82
Bulger, Jeffrey W.
11, 94
27, 180
Bennion, Douglas M.
10, 93
Berbert, Amanda M.
15, 116
Bergeson, Scott D.
Berry, Ryan
19, 134
Bulger, Leah
Bunch, Megan
29, 157, 196
Bunds, Michael P.
Bunnell, Katie
31, 207
Burbidge, Shaunna K.
22, 156
Buttars, Paul R.
Bice, Brian S.
27, 184
Buxton, Emily A.
Bigler, Erin D.
30, 199
Bills, Carol A.
24, 160
Black, Annika
7, 71
Bynum, Bill
24, 160
Blume, Joshua
12, 104
Bohne, Michael
6, 67
5, 54
Boyd, Jacquelyn Vienna
4, 49, 51, 52
24, 163
Brickell, Lindsy J.
24, 164
Bridgewater, Laura C.
Brinton, Carl H.
Briscoe, Greg
6, 61
21, 147
Bradley, Chris
26, 30, 177, 200
10, 90
2, 41
3, 43
Cabral-Cano, Enrique
Cahill, Caitlin
19, 139
30, 201
v
Caldwell, David
13, 108
Calkins, Derreck
10, 88
Call, Jonathan J.
29, 195
Callahan, Thomas
Callison, James
26, 174
17, 126
Callister, Lynn C.
11, 97
Canova, Travis J.
25, 172
Capecchi, Mario R.
Carey, Timothy
16, 26, 122, 177
28, 185
Cariello, Anna N.
3, 48
26, 177
Carpenter, Jacqueline P.
Carpenter, Josh
30, 201
Carpenter, Lauren N.
Brown, Kaila M.
8, 76
Carr, Tim
Brown, Kathren
5, 54
Carrell, Justin
11, 98
24, 161
12
28, 190
Castañeda, Denise
209
30, 198
22, 156
Brown, Bruce L.
Brown, Nicholas
28, 185
9, 12, 82, 103
Carlisle, Brandon S.
Broadbent, C. Steven
Brooks, Jonathan P.
26, 29, 178, 197
13, 108, 109
Calder, John
30, 204
Bradford, Joel A.
28, 188
C
Blakemore, Thomas
Boynton, Tom
30, 201
26, 174
Bylund, Shanna
16, 124
Bounous, Craig L.
4, 49, 51, 52
Burkhalter, Shontol Torres
25, 169
Borup, Brett
3, 5, 6, 7, 19, 42, 54, 68,
3, 44
Beus, Landon
Blair, C.
28, 185
72, 138, 139, 157
Bennie, Meredith E.
Berry, Brian J. D.
Brudzinski, Michael R.
12, 103
Index
Castillo, Elizabeth C.
Castle, Mike
27, 180
Challis, Lauren
26, 98, 175
Chase, Mary Jane
Chen, Li
27, 181
iv
Chetelain, Les
22, 155
Chinn, Ginger
iii
7, 73
Christensen, Anthony M.
20, 143
Christensen, Meradith M.
2, 41
29, 197
Christensen, Ryan C.
Christianson, Elizabeth W.
Clark, Christopher
Clawson, Corey
1, 32
6, 67
Claybaugh, Timothy S.
20, 141
20, 140
Clement, Nathan L.
Cokinos, Christopher
21, 146
Collette, Sean B.
Connell, Carolyn
Conwell, Peter
6, 61
17, 125
Coleman, Craig E.
iii
15, 24, 115, 162
25, 165
Coombs, Demetrius M.
7, 74
Cooper, Glen
30, 200
Cottrell, Brenda L.
5, 58
Couch, Jason
27, 180
Cowley, Jeffrey C.
Croasdell, Stephanie
16, 124
Damron, Danny
23, 158
Daniel, Stephen
27, 180
Davey, Christopher P.
Davis, Ashley R.
5, 54
2, 41
Davis, Jeffrey
29, 194
Davis, Nancy
iii
Davis, Zachary S.
Daynes, Gary
10, 89
v
Demers, Jennifer-Lynn
DeMets, D. Charles
15, 115
28, 185
Dennehy, John Q.
26, 174
Dennis, Maren M.
3, 46
DeSchweinitz, Rebecca L.
Desilets, Sean
25, 171
Dewey, Cindy
9, 29, 85, 191
29, 195
Diaz-Molina, Oscar
Dickison, Seth
28, 185
18, 132
Dillehay, Amanda V.
22, 153
25, 168
Dixon, Paul A.
30, 204
Dolan, Timothy
iii
Donavin, Georgiana
29, 195
3–219, 48
8, 19, 61, 75, 135,
136
16, 124
Douangdara, Amy
Draper, Terri
24, 164
2, 40
1, 32
Deutschman, William
Dong, L.
8, 75
Cummings, Nicholas
Curtis, Adelle M.
29, 194
6, 67
4, 52
Crumbley, Paul
Cutler, Richard
Donaldson, Weston V.
20, 140
Couch, Robert
29, 193
Dixon, Cyri
Cordner, Ryan D.
Craig, Archie
19, 135
5, 25, 56, 167
Clegg, Jeremy P.
Curtis, Heather
Dahl, M.J.
22, 31, 153, 207
Christensen, M. Ben
4, 50
D
12, 104
Chou, Grace
Curtis, Becky Y.
iii
18, 133
Dubray, Molly
30, 199
Dufur, Mikaela
5, 27, 57, 181
210
Index
Duncan, Carly
15, 118
29, 191
Duncan, Colby S.
Fletcher, Daniel
20, 140
Floisand, Danyal J.
15, 116
12, 103
Duncan, Katrina
22, 155
Forest, Jason L. De
Durand, James P.
4, 51
Forrest, Courtney
13, 108
Dutson, Ryan
E
24, 163
31, 206
Edwards, Chad
10, 27, 180
Edwards, Jeffrey G.
1, 37
Egbert, Jesse
5, 59
Ellis, Lesa
26, 173
Elmer, James A.
4, 17, 49, 50, 51, 52,
Emerman, Steven H.
125
5, 54
Epperson, Klint
30, 204
Erickson, David
21, 149
10, 93
Eshenroder, Nate
Etchberger, Lianna
iii
27, 179
Evans, Cortney
20, 144
Evans, R. Paul
9, 85, 86
Evenson, W. E.
20, 144
Eyring, Kenny
F
28, 190
Foy, Kevin
5, 53
30, 199
17, 125
Fry, Aaron R.
11, 99
Fulkerson, Katrina N.
3, 42
G
Gale, C.
16, 123
Gallegos, Joe
iii
7, 70
Gardner, Brittney R.
7, 69
Gil, Alexandra R.
25, 29, 170, 171, 193
Gilbertson, Tim
9, 86, 87
Giovannoni, Justin J.
3, 48
Gleave, Robert
24, 164
Goldsmith, David W.
Farnsworth, Sarah
v
Feland, J. Brent
30, 198
Felin, Jennie E.
26, 177
Ferguson, Diane M.
11, 96
10, 30, 89, 200
Fitzgibbon, Vanessa
iii
Gong, Gloria Jean
19, 137
Goodwin, Michael
22, 153
Grady, Artis
11, 26, 97, 98, 175
18, 130
1, 32
Grass, Janna L.
Gubler, Kathy
8, 80
Findley, Michael
Fleck, Michelle
iii
7, 69
Fox, Christie
Furse, Emily
Englehardt, Elaine
Fierro, Joelle
Fowler, Lauren
Froehlich, Alyson
3, 45
20, 143
Fotheringham, Kylee
Francis, Leslie
3, 46, 47
Elison, Jeff
27, 181
Forsberg, Mallory B.
Forste, Renata
Edmunds, Eric E.
24, 163
1, 35
Guile, Holly K.
2, 40
Guthrie, W. Spencer
Gwin, Kirsten A.
211
14, 114
19, 136
Index
H
26, 175
Higbee, Judy
Haber, Matthew
Higley, Sherene
18, 131
Hacking, Jane
3, 42
Hafen, Susan
5, 58
Hildebrand, Terri
Hilton, Jace D.
27, 182
Haisch Jr., Karl E.
16, 122
Haldar, Malay
1, 33
Hammond, Ron J.
24, 161
Han, Kyu B.
Hansen, Dane
29, 193
Hansen, Jorgen A.
7, 72
Hansen, Nick M.
13, 109
Harper, Tabitha A.
9, 83
14, 114
Harston, Stephen P.
Hart, Aaron A.
Hassell, Elizabeth
20, 145
Hayes, Bess
16, 120
Hayes, Bradley T.
6, 65
Hedberg, Matthew L.
16, 122
9, 81
Heiner, J. Parker
Henderson, Gae Lyn
6, 11, 16, 22, 62, 94,
Hevel, Joan
Hite, Steven J.
35
Hodges, Jeffrey A.
9, 86
Holbrook, John P.
6, 66
Holbrook, Nikelle
29, 197
25, 169
25, 172
Hicken, Rachel K.
1, 33
14, 110, 111
25, 166
Holt, Shelley T.
14, 111
11, 97
Hope, Charles A.
14, 114
15, 26, 29, 119, 178,
197
Horns, Daniel
17, 126
3, 42
Hough, Colleen D.
31, 207
Howell, Melissa N.
11, 99
Howze, Chad
Hu, Helen
7, 72
6, 65
Hudson, Austin P.
Hudson, Valerie
Hughen, Ron
120, 151
Hengge, Alvan
1, 27, 35, 38, 179
Horssen, Kendall J. Van
28, 185
Hawthorne, Shane
25, 166
Hite, Julie M.
26, 178
5, 58
Hawkins, John
20, 141
Hopkins, Bryan G.
23, 157
Haskell, Christopher M.
Hinton, Julie
Holmes, Nathan V.
12, 104
Harris, Nathanial
iii
Holland, Daniel
26, 174
Harris, D. James
27, 183
Hoagstrom, Christopher W.
7, 72
Hanewicz, Wayne
Hinsdale, Jo
15, 117
Hinzte, Bradley
8, 75
Hamblin, Laura
27, 182
28, 190
10, 90
28, 185
Hughes, K. Jane
7, 74
Hunsaker, Scott
8, 78, 79
Hyde, Spencer
212
25, 170
Index
I
26, 176
Jones, Leslie N.
Irvin, Matthew C.
Irvine, Joshua C.
Joss-Moore, L.
6, 65
16, 124
K
Jackman, Ryan
25, 169
Jackson, Dustin E.
Katzenbach, Jason R.
6, 64
18, 129
4, 51
Kemp, Tracy L.
Jacobsen, Wade C.
5, 59
Kenworthy, Ty J.
Jacobson, Spencer
25, 170
Kerry, Paul E.
James, Michelle
2, 39
Jensen, Dana
10, 88
4, 17, 49, 126
10, 92
Jensen, Frankie
iii
Jensen, Kevin
1, 18, 34, 129
18, 130
28, 185
Jensen, Tyron D.
Jeppson, Tamara
26, 173
25, 171
Johnson, A. Wayne
Johnson, Brett C.
Johnson, David
Johnson, Evan W.
Johnson, Julie K.
Johnson, Keith
24, 160
Khan, Natasha
19, 24, 137, 164
Kim, Bum Jun
23, 157
Kimball, Jill S.
27, 181
5, 53
Melissa Kincart
30, 198
iii
30, 201
Brandon S.
King, Michael
27, 180
Jepperson, Jeffrey J.
8, 13, 22, 77, 106, 152
Kincaid, David R.
Jensen, Heather Belnap
Jensen, J. Christian
5, 58
Kesner, Raymond P.
Jarrard-O’Dea, Elizabeth
Jensen, Chris L.
3, 48
3, 47
Kay, Twila R.
Jacobsen, Kalisha Roberts
iii
Kinkead, Joyce
iii
Kirton, Joshua W.
9, 84
Kmetzsch, Victoria
15, 115
Knapton, Josh
30, 204
10, 91
Knudsen, John
14, 110
30, 202
Kohler, Brynja
8, 78
10, 93
Kopp, Olga R.
17, 125
8, 79
8, 19, 76, 134
21, 149
Johnson, Mathew
26, 98, 175
Johnson, Ryan G.
30, 201
25, 166
Kubalek, Jeff
31, 205
Kuhre, Melody W.
18, 129
11, 97
L
Lainhart, Janet E.
26, 29, 178, 197
Jonassaint, Matthew A.
27, 180
Krauel, Elise C.
Johnson, Kody L.
Jolley, Von D.
27, 181
Judson, Sarah W.
J
Johnson, Sean
26, 173
Josephson, Sheree
27, 184
Lamb, Scott D.
Lancy, David
30, 199
30, 201
25, 169
Jones, David
14, 27, 110, 184
Lane, R.H.
Jones, Jay D.
29, 194, 195
Lange, Nicholas T.
213
16, 124
30, 199
Index
Larsen, Justin M.
Larson, Cody
22, 151
28, 185
Lassetter, Jane H.
Law, David
5, 57
iii
Martinez, Theresa A.
28, 188
Mason, Nicholas A.
11, 95, 96
Mason, Rebekah
7, 69
Masuda, Andrew
12, 104
Lawrence, Paul
30, 204
Matern, Joann
LeCluyse, Chris
3, 11, 19, 42, 96, 134
Matheson, P.
9, 85, 86
Mathis, Jason
20, 144
Lee, Jee E.
30, 199
Leininger, Thomas J.
Levin, Daniel
24, 161
Lewis, Dallin G.
Li, Joseph
23, 159
13, 107
Lim, Carol S.
Mayo, Jaime L.
Lins, Karl
26, 176
12, 103
Loeb, Laurence
Longathan, Sampath K.
Loos, Trina J.
30, 200
Lo Re, Lauren
12, 104
Low, Todd
16, 120
25, 171
26, 174
M
28, 190
McFarland, Robert
16, 120
16, 121
McNey, Katie A.
Metcalfe, D.
16, 124
17, 125
Meyer, Susan E.
11, 100
Mifflin, Rachel
Miller, Aaron C.
26, 176
Miller, Bradley B.
1, 37
Minaie, Afsaneh
20, 141
Monson, Steven D.
Malko, J. Robert
29, 197
Moon, Spencer
22, 154
14, 110
Marchant, Suzanne B.
Markowski, Michael
Marrott, Kenneth
31, 206
13, 106
Moore, Dusty
21, 147
20, 144
v
Morales, Yalemi
25, 172
Moreno, Carlos
9, 85
Morgan, Charlie V.
5, 59
Morris, Thomasina I.
6, 61
Marshall, Jonathon C.
1, 36
17, 125
Merrill, Keith R.
10, 88
Marchant, Kent
28, 186
17, 125
McGowan, Brett A.
Mackay, Kathryn
Mandleco, Barbara
28, 187
McDonald, Karena
McShane, Megan E.
14, 30, 113, 205
Lowry, Anthony
Lunt, Bryce
26, 177
30, 201
Lowe, Catherine V.
1, 32
McGirk, Heather M.
2, 39
Lounsbury, Tania L.
16, 122, 124
McDonald, Caitlin G.
11, 98
Linford, Matthew R.
29, 197
McDermott, Colin
21, 148
26, 174
14, 114
26, 177
McCoy, Matthew
15, 117
Lindley, Betsy R.
13, 105
Maughan, Craig A.
28, 185
Lillrose, Tiffany
Matthews, Kristin
Mattson, Christopher A.
25, 167
Light, Alan
iii
Moss, Heidi
214
29, 196
30, 202
Index
Moulton, Matthew J.
20, 143
11, 95
Olsen, Megan A.
Mounteer, Leslie
15, 115
Olsen, Trenton
8, 75
Moyer-Mileur, L.
16, 124
Ostafin, Agnes
24, 161
Oyler, Layne R.
3, 47
Mugimu, Christopher B.
35
Mujcinovic, Fatima
11, 94
Mulcahy, Daniel G.
30, 202
Myrer, J. William
P
Packer, Celisa
30, 198
31, 207
Palmer, Loretta
N
iii
Palmer, Mallory A.
Naisbitt, Gary H.
Namie, Joylin
Panin, Alexander M.
30, 204
Parcell, Allen C.
3, 44
Neely, Steven K.
Nelson, Blake
Park, Tyler
29, 193
27, 180
1, 9, 35, 86, 87
26, 176
Paresi, Thomas
10, 91
Neiswender, James
4, 51
29, 191
9, 85
Parker, Glendon
206
Nelson, C. Riley
27, 181
Paullin, Blake C.
21, 148
Nevels, Melinda
13, 108
Paulsen, David L.
7, 74
Pearce, Spencer A.
23, 158
Newson, Elizabeth C.
Nguyen, Thanh H.
Nichols, Caitlin
5, 57
18, 132
Pederson, Charlotte
26, 177
Niedfeldt, Jennifer R.
Nielsen, Aubree
5, 55
8, 79
14, 110
Peet, Kimberly C.
9, 82
Perry, Rebecca A.
30, 200
Petersen, Kevin A
30, 205
Nielsen, Brian K.
5, 57
Peterson, Christopher
Nielsen, Jared A.
30, 199
Peterson, Gae Lyn
25, 167
10, 88
Nielson, Daniel
10, 30, 89, 199, 200
Peterson, Nancy
Nielson, Lanora
3, 45
Peterson, Shannon
25, 170
Peterson, Tiffany A.
13, 108
Nilsen, Matt
15, 116
Nuckolls, Janis
Null, D.M.
Pettey, Dix H.
1, 37
16, 124
Pickering, J.
Ping, Zeng
O
Oberg, Craig
25, 172
Okazaki, Nicole
16, 21, 26, 122, 146, 173,
174
Oliver, Jessica
16, 123
31, 206
19, 137
Platt, Randall J.
28, 187
Polichette, Matt
24, 162
Popich, Michael
3, 5, 13, 45, 53, 55, 105
Porter, Paula J.
Oldman, Jedidiah D.
14, 113
29, 196
Olivera, Baldomero M.
25, 165
Power, Cathleen
Price, Joseph
28, 187
8, 79
3, 43, 103, 131
Probst, Rachel L.
215
24, 28, 162, 190
8, 80
Index
Proctor, Andrew S.
Pruitt, Mark
30, 201
10, 93
Safman, Teddy
7, 74
Pulido, Martin E.
iii
Salcido, Chelsea
Q
12, 102
Sarmiento, Janessa L.
R
Rackman, Benjamin
24, 162
26, 27, 178, 179
Radebaugh, Jani
15, 29, 117, 192
Radel, Claudia
23, 157
Raleigh, Sean
22, 155
Ravert, Patricia
27, 181
Ray, Bradley J.
23, 159
Reese, C. Shane
29, 195
Reeve, Katherine
4, 17, 50, 51, 126
Rey, Kevin A.
27, 181
Rhea, Jeff S.
4, 52
Richardson, Connie
Richardson, David
30, 201
Richardson, Jessica
30, 198
29, 192
Rickords, Lee
Riffe, Mark
S
14, 113
Roark, Faith D.
Robertson, Trenton
Steve Roens
30, 201
iii
Romo, Hans
6, 61
Schifrer, Anne
5, 25, 56, 167
Schmidt, Alina D.
26, 177
Schmidt, Matthew
11, 26, 98, 175
Schneiter, Kady
29, 195
Scholes, Tiffany L.
26, 176
Schuster, Kasey R.
31, 207
Schweinitz, Rebecca de
Scofield, Ethan
Scott, Michael
7, 72
Seawright, Kristie
18, 132
Seeley, Matthew K.
Seger, Jon
30, 198
28, 186
Seidelman, Cid
iv
Shamo, Wayne
3, 45
Sharma, Swati
10, 89
18
15, 19, 24, 115, 116,
13, 109
Shiozawa, Dennis
20, 144
Shupe, Robert G.
26, 174
Siegfried, Brandie
16, 121
Sigman, Matthew S.
3, 45
Simonds, Jen
Roper, Lindsey Kolette
28, 189
Sims, Danny R.
26, 176
30, 202, 203
24, 163
Sites Jr., Jack W.
Rowe, Ryan A.
21, 148
Slack, Jason V.
Rupp, Nicholas L.
2, 39, 41
29, 197
24, 28, 160, 188
9, 81
Roundy, Chris
Rubinfeld, Mark
22, 151
11, 98
Sherry, Tyler P.
1, 34
Robertson, Ashley M.
Schafer, Amy
137, 164
26, 176
Roberts, Brad R.
27, 179
Shepherd, Tricia D.
5, 59
30, 204
Robe, Kyle J.
Savage, Chris
Shaw, Robert
14, 111
Rink, Jochen
30, 199
6, 12, 21, 65, 66, 67, 102,
148
Slighting, Allison
216
1, 34
Index
Smetanka, Rachel
Smith, A.
22, 154, 156
16, 124
23, 157
Teng, Chia-Chi
21, 146
21, 28, 149, 190
Tesseyman, Sherri
Smith, H. Gaven
15, 117
Testa, Anna
Smith, Matthew
7, 70
Thackery, Rosemary
Smith, Tim
9, 82, 83, 84
Song, Hojun
11, 99
28, 187
14, 111
Thompson, Jeremy B.
28, 188
Snow, Karisa B.
21, 28, 149, 190
Theiss, Janet
20, 140
Snell, Quinn
10, 91
Thompson, Kyle
10, 20, 92, 143
22, 155
26, 175
Taylor, Julie E.
12, 101
Smith, Catherine J.
Smith, Eric Austin
16, 23, 123, 157
Taylor, Catherine Rebekah
22, 151
Smith, Ardis K.
Tanner, Jason M.
Thompson, Lanise G.
3, 42
Sorenson, Cami L.
3, 47
Thompson, Salem M.
4, 50
Sowerby, Amanda
7, 71
Thompson, Wendy M.
15, 21, 26, 117, 146,
St. Clair, Samuel B.
147, 177
Stephen, Catherine L.
27, 183
19, 135
Stephens, Ian T.
Stephenson, Ryan M.
22, 153
Stewart, Becca
Straubhaar, Joseph Christian
Strickler, James
29, 195
Strong, Whitney
11, 96
Suarez, Carla M.
28, 188
Suflita, Jennifer Marie
Suker, Ashley A.
v
8, 78
10, 92
Svenson, Gavin
Symons, J. David
16, 23, 123, 157
Talley, Susan
3, 46
Tinajero, Sealtiel A.
25, 168
Tucker, James
20, 143
v
13, 106
31, 206
Tweedy, Carolyn G.
13, 109
U
V
Van Dyke, Rue
24, 164
Vest, Katlin E.
11, 94
Viau, Krista S.
29, 196
Villordo, Ashlee
3, 46
W
T
Tabery, James
15, 26, 118, 176
Tuft, Elaine
2, 39
11, 99
Summers, Morgan
Thulin, Craig D.
Tucker, Jeffrey S.
18, 128
Stott, Rebecca Diane
22, 154
Tresco, Patrick A.
17, 21, 125, 146, 147
Stevens, Mikel R.
Thornock, Kalie
Tramp, Cody
21, 148
30, 204
5, 53
iii
Tamminen, Erik
Tankersley, Lyndy
24, 164
7, 71
Wager, Jans
1, 6, 18, 34, 63, 129
Walker, Curt
14, 20, 27, 110, 143, 184
Walker, Kent
14, 27, 31, 113, 183, 205
Washburn, Jacob D.
217
15, 119
Index
Washburn, Miriam
X
2, 40
Watson, Amber L.
6, 16, 63, 121
Weagle, Adam M.
15, 117
Weigel, Christine
7, 72
Welborn, Curtis Ray
Welker, Dennis
25, 168
Wellman, Richard
Wells, Kyle
13, 108
13, 20, 109, 140
27, 184
22, 156
Whaley, Brian
16, 120, 121
White, Bryson
14, 110
25, 166
White, Keith
13, 108
White, Lynn
iii
White, Robert C.
10, 20, 92, 143
Whittemore, Tali C.
1, 38
Wignall, Dennis
Wilson, Richard
14, 113
Wilson-Tolley, LeAnne
25, 172
iii
26, 176
Wooley, Stuart C.
26, 177
Woolley, Spencer C.
13, 106
iii, 6, 61
Wright, Geoffrey A.
Wright, Peter Q.
Wright, Scott
Zwolinski, Michele
6, 68
Wood, Steven G.
8, 78
8, 77
21, 148
Wright, Timothy Cotton
Wurtsbaugh, Wayne
15, 115
26, 175
30, 203
16, 123
9, 85, 86
Zobrist, Melissa M.
1, 32
Wilson, Lloyd J.
Wrede, Theda
Zhou, Anhong
9, 82
Williams, S. Tyler
8, 75, 76
29, 192
Zacate, M. O.
5, 18, 20, 57, 133, 141
Wilkerson, Connie
Winn, Brad
Young, Erin
13, 107
Wilden, Carmela
6, 65
Young, Daniel O.
16, 124
Wickman, Mathew
16, 124
Yoder, Valerie A.
4, 49, 50
Whiting, Michael F.
Whitworth, A.
Yoder, B.A.
Z
Westphal, J.D.
Whetman, Jeremiah C.
Y
22, 152
25, 168
218
NOTES
219
;
'(;`ZbJZ`\eZ\9l`c[`e^
'':fpe\i?flj\ '&:fie\cc;lgc\o
/:fem\ij\?Xcc
.:fem\ij\:`iZc\
-:Xic\jfe?Xcc
,9cXZb9i`[^\
+9`ccXe[M`\m\>fi\JZ_ffcf]9lj`e\jj
*9\_eb\e?Xcc
) =lkli\?fd\f]D\c[ildJZ`\eZ\:\ek\i
( 9XdY\i^\i?Xcc
' 8iYf^Xjk?flj\
:
)&Ele\dXb\iGcXZ\
)'Fcn\cc?Xcc
)(GXpe\>pdeXj`ld
))G\k\ijfe?flj\
)*I\_\i[?flj\
)+J_XnJkl[\ek:\ek\i
),Jk\m\ejfe?flj\
)-JkfZb?Xcc
).KXee\iGcXqX
)/NXcb\i?Xcc
'+;fcfi\j;fi„<ZZc\jGcXqX
',;l[[p;lgc\o
'-;ldb\=`\c[<c\mXk\[ '.<d`^iXk`fe:i\\b
'/=fjk\i?Xcc
(&>`fmXc\C`YiXip
(';fcfi\j;fi„<ZZc\j
?\Xck_#N\cce\jj#Xe[8k_c\k`Z:\ek\i
((?f]]dXe?flj\
(.DXcfl]?Xcc
(-DXcdjk\e8dg_`k_\Xk\i
(,DX`ek\eXeZ\9l`c[`e^
(+B`dK%8[Xdjfe8clde`?flj\
<ddX<ZZc\jAfe\j:fej\imXkfip
(*A\n\kk:\ek\i]fik_\G\i]fid`e^8ikjXe[
()?f^c\?Xcc
(/E`^_k`e^Xc\?Xcc
');`jk`e^l`j_\[I\j`[\ek8gXikd\ek
8
\\ bei[Ze
Yj_ed9
9edijhk
'*;fcfi\j;fi„<ZZc\j:\iXd`Z:\ek\i
9
:Cfn\iEle\dXb\iCfk
9;ldb\=`\c[GXib`e^
8Efik_GXib`e^JkilZkli\
7=fjk\i&:Xic\jfeCfk
GXib`e^
801.484.7651
1840 South 1300 East
Salt Lake City, Utah 84105
www.westminstercollege.edu
We will be nationally recognized
as an exemplary community of
learners, distinguished by our
distinctive educational programs,
our record of preparing graduates
for success in a rapidly changing
world, and our commitment to
continuous improvement,
effectiveness, and value.
1840 south 1300 east • salt Lake City, Utah 84105
www.westminstercollege.edu
Save the Date
Upcoming UCUR 2010, Southern Utah University, February 25–26;
UCUR 2011, Weber State University, February 24–25