Oxidation Effects on the Optical Constants of Heavy Metals

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Amy Grigg and Dr. Steve Turley, Physics and Astronomy This paper examines a method that takes oxidation gradients into consideration when determining optical constants from reflectance and transmission measurements. The oxidation gradients were measured by two techniques using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy: sputtering, where data are taken at various depths in the sample after removing the […]

Modeling Magnetized, Differentially Rotating Neutron Stars

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Jared Greenwald and Dr. Eric Hirschmann, Physics and Astronomy There has been a tremendous research effort in trying to understand observed astrophysical phenomena. The difficulties in studying the formation of and interactions between astrophysical objects have led to the use of computational methods to solve these problems. From a theoretical point of view, one difficulty […]

Does the Ribosome Cleave mRNA? Searching for the A-site Endonuclease

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Jeremy Goodson and Dr. Allen Buskirk, Chemistry and Biochemistry Trans-translation can be broken down into 5 steps. , After a ribosome stalls, the mRNA in its aminoacyl-tRNA site (A-site) is cleaved and released, which leaves the A-site empty. The key molecule in ribosomal rescue, transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA), then forms a complex with Small Protein B […]

Applications of Interferometry

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Daniel Christensen and Dr. Dallin Durfee, Physics and Astronomy Our research group is currently building a highly precise and stable atom interferometer/ atomic time standard. This is an atomic clock which, among other capabilities, will enable precision measurements of fundamental constants. Some of the long term goals of this project include time rate-of-change measurements of […]

Covalent Modification of Hydrogen-terminated Silicon Surfaces through a One-step Polymerization Process

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Robert Blake and Dr. Matthew R. Linford, Chemistry and Biochemistry Silicon is one of the most abundant elements on the earth and has been used throughout history in a variety of applications. Because silicon is so widely used in the semiconductor and electronics industries, recent research has focused on altering the properties of silicon wafers. […]

Assessing Hand Washing Techniques Among Nurses in Ecuador

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Cora Yoose and Dr. Ana Birkhead, Nursing Healthcare-associated infection (HAI) is described as infection acquired in a hospital or healthcare setting. HAI is a problem in the health care setting that can be drastically curtailed by the implementation of proper hand hygiene practice. Increased cost of care for patients and the increased incidence of death […]

Perceptions of Childbirth among Women in the Ashanti Region of Ghana

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Stephen Wilkinson and Dr. Lynn Callister, Department of Nursing The topic of my research evolved out of a desire to do a field study in Ghana through Brigham Young University’s Kennedy Center for International Studies. As I researched health care issues in the Ashanti Region, I discovered that many of the medical challenges that people […]

Perceptions of Childbirth among the Women of Geelong, Australia

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Thacker Shelley and Dr. Lynn Callister, College of Nursing Previous research on labor and birth in Australia has focused on mortality rates in hospitals and birthing centers. Gathering qualitative research is important to improve nurses’ culturally based care towards childbearing women. I knew of Dr. Callister’s similar research in various countries. I was in the […]

Retention of Emergency Care Knowledge among Nursing Students

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Alanna R. Rowley and Dr. Sheri P. Palmer, College of Nursing Much focus has been placed on studying cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) retention among nurses, but little has been done to understand the retention of emergency care/first-aid knowledge among undergraduate nursing students. Even though nursing students are educated in basic emergency care and first-aid throughout school, […]

Support of Laboring Mothers in Argentina

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Melissa Pickett and Dr. Lynn C. Callister, College of Nursing Introduction and Literature Review The College of Nursing expects students to provide care for patients globally in other cultures as well as patients in our own country. Learning how to meet the mothers’ needs from Argentina will inform health care professionals how to provide the […]