2013 Abstracts

Ryan Putman, Utah State University Biological Engineering Spider silk is a biomaterial with extraordinary physical properties. It has a unique combination of tensile strength, elasticity, and even biocompatibility that has sparked interest in a wide range of disciplines. Potential implementations of spider silk include: medical advances (skin grafts, biomedical sutures, and artificial tendons/ligaments), automotive safety (seat belts, airbags), and military applications (parachutes, body armor). Although spider silk has a great variety of possible uses, collecting this product is not as easy as merely farming spiders and harvesting the silk. Spiders are naturally territorial and cannibalistic, thus alternative means of production are necessary to generate enough spider silk for realistic use. A non-pathogenic laboratory strain of Escherichia coli commonly used for research purposes will be modified to produce synthetic spider silk. Through the use of synthetic biology and molecular cloning techniques, recombinant DNA is inserted with the genetic code for dragline silk of the Argiope aurantia spider; once constructed, this DNA is transformed into E. coli. The goal is to take advantage of E. coli’s ability to be used as a “factory” for creating silk in a controllable and cost efficient system. Supplementation of additional tRNAs will be employed as a strategy to extend cell life and boost the overall spider silk protein yield. Preliminary results have been obtained that show the production of synthetic spider silk by the engineered E. coli. More research is being conducted to increase yields so that we can one day take advantage of this amazing biomaterial.

Stephanie Hansen, Weber State University Zoology Re-feeding syndrome is the result of the rapid re-introduction of nutrients following a period of severe malnourishment or starvation. During starvation, critical nutrient absorption and anabolic pathways are shifted to conserve energy and maintain cellular function in intestinal enterocytes. Rapid reintroduction of nutrients can often overwhelm the remnant absorptive ability of the intestinal tract, leading to complications such as, failure to thrive and intestinal failure. We hypothesized that a polymeric diet would improve refeeding response compared to an elemental diet. We utilized the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C.elegans) as a minimalist model of refeeding. We induced a developmental state of starvation known as, dauer, and then transferred animals into either a polymeric diet or elemental diet. We measured body length daily for 5 days until the worms reached adulthood. Data were statistically analyzed using a general linear model of analysis of variance and expressed as mean+/-SEM. Our results indicate that polymeric diet (695.6+/-25.2 ?m) demonstrated at least 10% (p<0.05) improved growth compared to elemental diet (646.8+/-21.7), with polymeric worms reaching adulthood by day 2 (960.2+/-26.9), whereas elemental animals required 3 days to reach adulthood (894.2+/-26.9 day 2, 972.6+/-27 day 3). Additionally, we assayed intestinal proteolysis by feeding the worms green fluorescent protein (GFP) and measuring fluorescence along the length of the intestinal tract. Our findings demonstrate a decreased rate (p<0.05) of intestinal proteolysis among worms fed exclusively a polymeric diet, despite no significant change in the rate of fluorescent protein intake. Our data confirm our hypothesis that a polymeric diet improves growth and development over an elemental diet. In addition, by requiring some hydrolytic digestion, growth is improved. These results might help to improve clinical management of refeeding syndrome as well as rehabilitate patients suffering intestinal failure.

Kristie Williamson, Weber State University Athletic Training Context: Cranial Nerve V (CN V; Trigeminal nerve) is responsible for facial sensation. CN V has three separate branches which include ophthalmic, maxillary and mandibular. The ophthalmic nerve (V1) carries sensory information from the forehead; the maxillary nerve (V2) carries information from the cheek; and the mandibular nerve (V3) carries information from the chin. It is important to test all three areas of cranial nerve V to accurately assess full nerve function. Previous research has indicated that pressure threshold is not affected by age, however, normative values for two-point discrimination for CN V have not yet been established and may prove useful in concussion evaluation. Objective: Initial investigation aimed at determining gender-specific normative values for CN V two-point discrimination. Design: Prospective repeated-measures design. Setting: This study was performed in the athletic training facilities on the campus of a large Division I institution. Patients or Other Participants: Convenience sample of 106 healthy students enrolled at our institution (43 females, average age: 23.2; 63 males, average age: 22.1). Participants had no history of concussion within the last year, no facial scaring or plastic surgery and not a current smoker. Interventions: Measurement was taken using a two-point discriminator (Disk-Criminator) on the mid-forehead, mid-cheek, and mid-chin. Participants closed their eyes while each measurement was taken. Light pressure was applied (force equal to approximately 10-15 grams to produce blanching of the skin). Measurements were taken three times on each of three facial locations, sequentially. The smallest number in millimeters (mm) to correctly discriminate one/two points was recorded. The two pressure points were applied at exactly the same time. Main Outcome Measure: Discrimination score for each test location (mid-forehead, mid-cheek, mid-chin). Nested average was calculated within subjects for each test location; average was calculated between subjects for each test location. One-way between-subjects ANOVAs were conducted to evaluate potential differences in gender for each test location. Results: Between-subjects average for mid-forehead was 7.8mm (+/2.9), for mid-cheek was 10.4mm (+/2.6), and for mid-chin was 5.9mm (+/1.9). There was a significant effect for gender for cheek normative value (p<0.01); average discrimination score for males was 11mm, average for female was 9.7mm.

Charles Ankenman, Brigham Young University Spanish and Portuguese The Middle Ages and the cultural, political and social coming of age of the European continent produced a corpus of literature and a literary tradition representative of its religious and cultural values that, amazingly, still continues to influence society today. Commonly employed terms such as “a knight in shining armor”, “prince charming”, and parallels occasionally drawn between children and both literary as well historical princes and princesses of yore are evidence of the longevity of the influence of Medieval culture, it’s ideals and the literary genre that most perfectly reflected it: the novel of chivalry. Today, few academics study the genre, it is seldom analyzed in universities, and almost never read outside of academia. In fine, their legacy and their memory has largely been preserved in the endearing pages of Cervantes’ masterpiece, Don Quixote. In this work, the protagonist, don Quixote, goes mad as he credulously devours his extensive private collection of chivalric literature believing all he reads to be not only true but also worthy of imitation. Nevertheless, despite Don Quixote’s wide reading public, few have ever read a novel of chivalry and, as a result, the exact definition of the novel of chivalry can be both obscure and even beyond the grasp of the modern reader who is uninitiated in the field of Medieval and Renaissance chivalric literature. Nevertheless, through a careful analysis of don Quixote’s private collection of novels of chivalry, the mega-genre that they constitute and the sub-genres that comprise it; the chivalric genre can be clearly defined. Additionally, through the comparative analysis of the English term novel of chivalry as opposed to the Spanish term libros de caballerias (book of great deeds done on horseback) the importance of language’s influence on the perception of the world will be demonstrated and Jacques Lacan’s theory regarding language and perception substantiated. Finally, this analysis will elucidate the novel of chivalry’s status both as a continuation of the great classical epic tradition as well as another link in the universal tradition of epic poetry and storytelling. This presentation will be of interest both to Medievalist as well as specialists in the Renaissance, Don Quixote, Spain and Portugal. Power Point Presentation. 20 – 30 minutes.

Melanie Cooke, University of Utah Geography Range Creek is a small deeply incised canyon located in south central Utah. It is a remote canyon that has experienced minimal impact to its rich archaeological heritage by European-American settlers during the last two hundred years. The canyon contains hundreds of important archaeological sites and thousands of artifacts from the Fremont culture that inhabited the area from around 800 A.D. to 1350 A.D. Though work has been done on the archeological sites in the canyon, a better understanding of the paleoclimate and environment are needed to help understand why the Fremont culture disappeared so abruptly around 1160 A.D.Dendrochronology has been shown to provide excellent data for reconstruction of climatic conditions. Conifer tree species, including Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga mensiezii), are well-suited for studying past climate through the analysis of their tree rings. In this study, I use increment cores from Douglas fir to build a local history of tree-ring growth rates through time and will compare these results to regionally available climate records. By comparing changes in ring widths with weather station data, including monthly and seasonal temperature and precipitation records, I hypothesize that Douglas fir will provide a sensitive indicator of past changes in winter precipitation. Twelve tree cores collected from climatically sensitive locations during the 2012 summer are being analyzed from Range Creek Canyon. Preliminary analyses of the tree ring series suggests this study will provide a climatic history spanning the past ~300 years. Although this analysis cannot provide direct observation on climate conditions during the period of the Freemont occupation and abandonment of Range Creek, it will provide insights into the natural climate variability occurring within the Range Creek Canyon. All tree cores are being analyzed with ARSTAN and COFECHA software, commonly used by dendrochronologists, and results will be made available at the time of presentation.

Kimberly Williamson, Utah Valley University History “There is nothing particularly interesting about one’s life story,” Eleanor Roosevelt wrote, “unless people can say as they read it, Why, this is like what I have been through. Perhaps, after all, there is a way to work it out.” Humans throughout time have recognized the need for storytelling and have been preserving oral histories. Narratives supplement our historical memory and offer an in-depth account of personal experience and reflections, which allows another to feel a commonality that often dissolves the barriers of race, class, gender, and even time. During the 19th century, the fight for enfranchisement united Utah’s early settlers with national suffragists. Feminists such as newspaper editor, Emmiline B. Wells and “presidentes” of the women’s organization within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), Eliza R. Snow, were in the forefront of this movement. Wells, Snow, along with other women were actively involved in their family responsibilities. However, they also held public and political positions within their communities that were not typical for women of that period. The women’s movement of the seventies recognized that literature wasn’t acknowledging women’s prominent role in society. Not only was there a lack of sources by and about women, but the historiography in general was male dominated. Hence, the LDS church initiated a crusade to collect women’s journals, letters, and other writings of Utah’s pioneers. These sources increased scholarship of Utah’s suffragists, which caused national recognition of the role they played during First Wave Feminism. Nevertheless, there is a trivial amount written about the women in Utah during Second Wave Feminism from the 1970’s to late 1980’s. My research focuses on stories of women in Utah during Second Wave Feminism. I interviewed four women within higher education where they expressed personal experiences that are similar in spirit to Utah’s early settlers. Inadvertently each woman had some connection with the LDS church. My thesis will argue that by extrapolation there were many women, particularly at Utah Valley University who transcended patriarchy to achieve positions of leadership and notoriety. Their personal narratives challenge the feminist theory of patriarchal suppression, which seems paradoxical considering the fact that Utah’s dominant religion, the LDS church, functions as a male governed society.

Hanna Higginson, University of Utah Anthropology The study, “Sentimentality Preserves Our Past” focuses on two branches of nostalgia: sentimentality and historical utility and their relationship to cultural relics. Our approach assumes we can recognize similarities and differences between cultural communities by describing the extent to which individuals are sentimental or utilitarian with regard to their possessions. We are currently collecting data from the northern Utah community and Utah Tongan community. We set up a preliminary exercise asking participants to free list the items they have a difficult time throwing away for sentimental reasons. So far we have collected 40 questionnaires and 13 interviews that focus on the five most referenced items. Our target is to conduct about 45 questionnaires and 45 interviews for each community. For the Utahan population we have enough data to identify an S:U RANK – the ratio between a participant’s measure of sentimentality to the measure of utility. For the 25 questions where a respondent’s answer could be classified as appealing to sentimentality (s) or historic utility (h), we summed the totals then divided it by the sum of the answers appealing to utility (u). All totals above 1 indicate that the respondent prefers protecting items for nostalgic purposes; all answers below 1 indicate the respondent prefers items of utility. The S:U RANK gives a general view into a particular population. From this we can discuss the effect of variables such as age, marital status, children, age of children, and years in Utah on an individual’s preference. Currently, the pattern from the S:U RANK suggests that marital status and children are having the greatest effect on the ratio, but this will become clearer as the interviews progress. The research began as an effort to understand the presence of nostalgia as applied to five common relics among a particular diaspora, in light of the incoming data, this question is developing into an attempt to understand nostalgia in a cultural and universal sense as well.

Betty Stoneman, Utah Valley University Philosophy The “American Dream” and the “Working Class Promise” are ubiquitous ideologies in American culture. For this paper, I will argue these ideologies are social constructs which perpetuate and reinforce discrimination, the social hierarchy and the domination of the American working class. First, I will define the key concepts of this paper: ideology, stereotyping, domination, discrimination, the ideologies of the American Dream and the Working Class Promise. Secondly, I will argue these ideologies, as defined by communications professor Kristen Lucas, lead to discrimination and domination of the working class. I will argue the Working Class Promise is an example of philosopher Frederick Nietzsche’s slave morality, where a lower status group attaches positive values to themselves which only serves to perpetuate discrimination against them. Further, I will argue domination arises from such discrimination by examining a study by psychologists Shannon K. McCoy and Brenda Major regarding positive stereotyping, self-stereotyping, discrimination and domination. Next, I will argue, using sociologist Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of habitus, both the Working Class Promise and the American Dream are structured and structuring social concepts which reinforce discrimination and domination through exclusion. In line with Bourdieu, I will use social philosopher Louis Althusser’s arguments to show how the Working Class Promise and the American Dream reproduce the roles of the social hierarchy and domination. I will support this demonstration with evidence from McCoy and Major’s study showing how various forms of discrimination are reproduced in society when individuals believe in the American Dream. Having accepted the social insights of these scholars, I would propose, based on the arguments of philosopher Immanuel Kant regarding the intrinsic worth of rational beings and contrary to elitist or socialist views, the solution is for Americans to reject these ideologies.

Jeffrey Green, University of Utah Linguistics Although learning a second language can be difficult, especially for adults, many people believe that once an individual has acquired a second language, it will be easier to learn a third. Individuals may utilize strategies learned from studying a second language (L2) to their study of a third, but this does not necessarily mean that learning a third language (L3) will be easier. As individuals study an L3, their knowledge of both their native language (L1) and their L2 will compete with their developing knowledge of the L3. Previous research has shown that during early stages of L3 acquisition, both L1 and L2 phonology (that is, the underlying sound system of a language) influence the phonology of their L3. This is evident, for example, in learners’ production of some word-initial consonants, such as d, p, and k. Languages differ in the timing between the articulation of the consonant and the beginning of vibration of the vocal folds (voicing) associated with a following vowel sound. This timing is known as Voice Onset Time (VOT). Studies suggest a stronger influence from L2 than from L1 in L3 VOT production. However, learners in these studies had some (if limited) knowledge of the L3, and the influence of this knowledge is unclear. In addition, previous studies have addressed L3 production, but not L3 perception. Research has yet to investigate (i) the influence of L1 and L2 phonology in the very initial stages of L3 acquisition (when the language is totally unfamiliar), and (ii) the influence of L1 and L2 phonology on the perception of VOT boundaries. This study investigates (i) and (ii) by presenting English and Spanish bilinguals with stimuli representing a range of VOT in their L1 and L2, as well as from a third, unfamiliar language in a series of tasks designed to elicit evidence of VOT boundaries in each language. The results of these tasks will be examined to determine whether learners rely more on their L1 or their L2 for processing a third, unfamiliar language. Preliminary results and analyses will be available by February 2013. This research will give important insights into the process of acquisition of a third language.

Ryan Krage, Utah Valley University English and Literature Within Freshman Composition Studies, little research has been produced on writing conferences between students and teachers since Laurel Johnson Black’s Between Talk and Teaching: Reconsidering the Writing Conference in 1998. Most published research has not included any systematic information about the nature of the writing conference, a consultation between the student and teacher designed to discuss the student’s paper in order to make changes. Student feedback and involvement in this study is of crucial importance because there is no existing data whether teacher-student conferences are working from a student perspective. The major research question is “What is the relationship between types of teacher-student conference interaction and subsequent revision of students’ papers?” The purpose of the research is to discover what the writing conference between teacher and student accomplishes in terms of better writing outcomes, what the expectations of the student are, and what and how the power dynamics between student and teacher affect the quality and quantity of revision from both student and instructor perspectives. We will examine the connection of students’ perceptions about the writing conference to their final scores and other data. During the spring 2012 semester, we drafted three surveys designed to capture students’ perspectives and expectations regarding the conferences (a pre-conference, post conference, and post final grade). The methodology includes transcribing voice recordings of conferences, collecting student surveys before and after conferences, and collecting students’ rough and final drafts for two papers during the semester. This raw data will be coded into usable data, which will then be analyzed to identify behaviors that facilitate or impede the conference and determine its overall effectiveness. We hypothesize that a dialogic conference will occur when the power dynamic between student and teacher is more equitable, resulting in more student-ownership over the revision process. The extent of student ownership within the revision process will be determined by both the quantity and quality of revision. These findings will, in turn, enable teachers to take a closer look at the nature of their own writing conferences in order to develop better consultations with their students.