2024 Abstracts

Authors: Cate Bateman, Jose Aurelio De La Rocha Tapia, Ethan Fulwood, Arianna Harrington. Mentors: Arianna Harrington. Insitution: Southern Utah University. The Eocene-Oligocene boundary in North America was marked by climatic cooling and drying. This transition is a key time in mammalian evolution, and studying fossils spanning this boundary could yield important information about how fauna responded to the climatic change. McCarty’s Mountain, a fossil rich geological feature located in Madison County, Montana, has long intrigued scientists due to the many insights it holds into the terrestrial fauna of the region. The sites from McCarty’s Mountain date from the Chadronian North American Land Mammal Age, which corresponds to the late Eocene epoch. The geological strata to produce these fossils were thought to have been deposited in a floodplain, yielding remarkably preserved fossils which have been collected and studied since the early 1900’s. However, the microfossils from this locality have been understudied despite the insights it could provide to the terrestrial Eocene-Oligocene transition in North America. In this study, we aim to close this gap by analyzing microfossils picked from matrix collected from McCarty’s Mountain localities in summer 2023. Preliminarily, we have processed about ⅛ of the collected sediments, and have found several identifiable elements including mammalian teeth, vertebrae, and long bones. We will continue this work by washing and soaking the remaining matrix and quantifying the microfossils retrieved. The fossils recovered may provide future insight to changes in microfauna across the Eocene-Oligocene boundary.

Authors: Alberto Miranda, Samannoy Ghosh, Yong Lin Kong. Mentors: Yong Lin Kong. Insitution: University of Utah. Microscale robots can impart a broad range of functionalities in the biomedical domain that can be leveraged to address unmet clinical needs, including noninvasive surgery and targeted therapies. Conventional robot navigation methods typically involve specific gaits suited for certain environmental conditions. However, implementing the same conventional methods inside a human body is highly challenging. As the human body is a complex and dynamic environment, a microrobot must adapt to these complex and challenging environments to perform targeted studies. Previous research demonstrated an integration of an untethered, 3D-printed three-linked-sphere crawler with a model-free reinforcement algorithm. The work done with the theoretical Najafi–Golestanian three-linked-sphere mechanism was its first experimental integration with a reinforcement learning algorithm as a relatively simple and highly scalable self-learning robot that can navigate in unconfined and confined spaces. The progress presented in the current research is a direct continuation of the previous work on the 3-linked-sphere crawler. While the previous work focused on developing a proof of concept for adaptive gait learning for the crawler, the current work focuses more on the challenges of implementing the robot in a low Reynolds number fluid medium. Our current research hypothesizes that a self-learning autonomous system could demonstrate successful gait adaptation in a low Reynold’s flow environment. The design of our robot has been significantly improved to make it sustainable for extended use under viscous fluids. The research presented outlines the work that has been done to transition the robot from a crawler into a swimmer, the challenges that have been faced, and how they have been addressed. Successful implementation of this 3-sphere-swimmer will be a step forward in integrating machine learning tools into microswimmers for autonomous gait adaptation inside the human body.

Authors: Dante Celani, Erin Bunch, Randy Klabacka. Mentors: Randy Klabacka. Insitution: Utah Tech University. Hybrid parthenogenic whiptail species have lower endurance capacity and mitochondrial respiration than their sexual parental species. These differences in aerobic performance may be due to reduced compatibility of variable gene products between the divergent parental genomes that are present in the hybrids. If this is the case, we expect to see genetic variation in mitochondrial-targetting genes. We performed whole-genome sequencing for four sexual whiptail species that are parental species to hybrid parthenogenetic species, and we mapped those samples to an annotated whiptail genome. We call gene variants and classify them as coding, non-coding, synonymous, and non-synonymous to understand which variants might contribute to phenotypic variation, and we discuss approaches to further elucidate the genetic mechanism behind the lower aerobic performance in hybrid parthenogens.

Authors: Jude Werth. Mentors: Alex Shcheglovitov. Insitution: University of Utah. Glioblastoma (GBM) is the deadliest brain tumor that affects more than 10,000 people a year. Unfortunately, our understanding of the mechanisms disrupted by GBM is extremely limited. We are unable to safely manipulate brain cells in live patients, and the complexity of human brain networks are difficult to recapitulate in animals. This study employs brain organoids, derived from induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs), to model the impact of GBM on neural activity. Organoid batches, grown under normal conditions and co-cultured with GBM cells, were monitored using microelectrode arrays (MEA) to record power in frequency bands. Over time, drugs influencing neural activity were introduced. Significant behavioral distinctions were observed between control and GBM-cultured organoids. Under Bicuculline and Tetrodotoxin, power in GBM organoids exhibited dramatic changes compared to the minimal difference in control organoids. Conversely, 4-Aminopyridine induced increased high-frequency activity exclusively in control organoids. Correlating power in frequency bands with spike activity, this study provides insight on how brain tumors influence neural networks, furthering disease comprehension to eventually develop effective treatment for patients.

Authors: Hunter Gordon, Jace Riley, McCade Larsen. Mentors: Aaron Davis. Insitution: Utah Tech University. Tracking animal populations is key to ensuring that populations are healthy and thriving. Current data collection methods, such as radio tagging, manned aerial flyovers, and camera traps, are not only time-consuming and expensive but also fail to provide accurate population estimates. This interdisciplinary research project aims to produce a more accurate and less expensive data collection system for large game populations that could potentially be used to monitor other animal populations. The planned procedure for data collection is to attach a thermal imaging device to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and perform aerial transects throughout the observation area. Using a thermal camera will allow the UAV to fly at a higher altitude, lessening the disturbance to the animals themselves. The imaging device will take images at a set time interval along transects that can be stitched into a complete data set for the area. By using image processing techniques and deep learning models, the images will be processed to show the location as well as population counts of the animals in the area. Results from similar experiments have shown that using UAVs to collect population data not only provides more accurate data but also requires less time overall to collect the data.[1] This experiment expands upon those findings by creating automatic image processing and analysis software to increase the ease of use, allowing for more data to be collected and analyzed in the same time period.

Authors: Kyri Forman, Craig Thulin, Heath Ogden. Mentors: Heath Odgen. Insitution: Utah Valley University. The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) uses orange filtering pigments in the eyes to discriminate between different hues of orange and yellow and these pigments are believed to be used for deciphering wing color during mate selection (Blackiston et al., 2011). However, it is not known if these orange pigments in the eyes match those in the wings, or if they are present in the wings or eyes of the white monarch (Danaus plexippus nivosus); a variant caused by a mutation in the wing pigmentation process. For this study, pigment extracts from the wings and eyes of typical orange monarchs and white monarchs were characterized using LCMS and fragmentation MS (including MSMS and MSn) and compared. Of the seven pigments known to occur within the wings of orange monarchs (Forman and Thulin, 2022), three were found in the eyes of orange monarchs and little to none of these pigments were present in the nivosus wings or eyes. This lack of orange pigment within the eyes of white monarchs may signify possible color blindness within this mutant. This is supported by previous reports of these butterflies being less likely to breed and forage for nectar, but behavioral studies will be needed to confirm this hypothesis further.

Authors: Thomas Caldwell. Mentors: Dustin Shipp. Insitution: Utah Valley University. In this research project, we have transformed an existing Raman spectroscopy simulation, enhancing its performance and capabilities through the integration of parallel computing with GPU acceleration. This significant improvement in computational time allows us to break through previous computational limitations, enabling more sophisticated and complex applications of the simulation. We are currently focused on two main objectives: assessing the viability and potential of spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) for deeper tissue analysis, and exploring the possibilities of topographical imaging using Raman techniques.

Authors: Natalya Misener, John Wolfe. Mentors: John Wolfe. Insitution: Utah Tech University. In our effort to improve education and create a more inclusive learning environment, Natalya Misener and Professor John Wolfe from Utah Tech University are exploring the experiences of neurodivergent students in classrooms. Our goal is to better understand, support, and empower these students, challenging the way things are typically done. We believe it's important to understand that these conditions come in a variety of forms and affect both students and professors in the classrooms in ways that are not currently being discussed, especially as many minorities, especially women and people of color, go undiagnosed and unaccommodated for a variety of reasons. We believe that by educating professors and students alike on how classroom environments can be more supportive of neurodivergent students, we can benefit the entire classroom, including ‘typical’ students. To make this happen, we believe it's important to rethink how we organize our classes, assignments, and interactions, so that we don't have to rely too much on services like the Disability Resource Center (DRC). We have practical suggestions, like adjusting assignments and deadlines and creating a comfortable classroom environment. It's also crucial to be clear in our expectations and listen to what the students need. We ask some important questions, like whether students should consider their instructors' limitations and how students see disabled instructors in their journey to graduation as well. We call for a shift beyond just accommodating neurodivergent students. We want to encourage educators to think about how they can better support all students in their classrooms. It's urgent that we change how we approach neurodivergent students- in order to create a more inclusive, supportive, and successful environment for us all.

Authors: Barrett Blake. Mentors: Brandon Ro. Insitution: Utah Valley University. This research project aims to explore the relationship between an individual's cultural and religious background and their perception of mosque architecture and experiences. Given the lack of understanding about the nature of mosques among non-Muslims, it is essential to investigate these perceptions to promote greater public awareness and interfaith understanding. The research methodology employs two approaches. First, it analyzes Nader Ardalan's work, "The Visual Language of Symbolic Form: A Preliminary Study of Mosque Architecture," to identify common architectural characteristics in mosques. This analysis is correlated with a survey to compare common elements of mosque architecture to respondents’ associations with the elements incorporated in mosque architecture. It is expected that the elements that most individuals associate with mosques are likely those that are most common. Second, an online survey assesses the influence of cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and religious backgrounds on individuals' perceptions of mosques. The survey covers familiarity with mosques, statements about mosque experiences, and demographics. Statements regarding mosque experiences are derived from Lindsay Jones’ book The Hermeneutics of Sacred Architecture: Experience, Interpretation, Comparison. Demographic questions include religion, ethnicity, and primary household language. Respondents are recruited through QR codes on the Utah Valley University campus, religious groups at universities, and online forums for diverse religious traditions. Responses from those who practice Islam are expected to align more closely than those from non-Islamic backgrounds. In summary, this research shows that some architectural features in mosques are likely to be universally recognized due to their commonality. It also highlights a strong connection between an individual's background and their understanding of Islam, mosque aesthetics, and expected mosque experiences. These findings can inform mosque design by promoting the use of recognizable architectural elements and can contribute to fostering interfaith awareness and understanding, ultimately supporting harmonious coexistence among diverse communities.

Authors: Brandon Rojas. Mentors: Kristen Arnold. Insitution: Weber State University. The Mountain Haven building in Salt Lake City, a mixed-use facility, offers a wide range of services, including housing, childcare, and healthcare. The Single Parent Project, a non-profit organization, is working to provide suitable housing solutions for single parents and their children. The primary challenge is creating a secure, private, and healthy living environment that supports the emotional, financial, and mental growth of single parents and their children. To address this challenge, the Mountain Haven building must be designed to meet the unique needs of single-parent families. This includes providing access to quality childcare, flexible work arrangements, and efficient household management solutions. It is also important to foster a sense of community and neighborliness and to ensure that single parents have access to affordable and safe housing in a safe neighborhood (Johnson, 1986). Additionally, the arrangement of the home should be flexible to accommodate both work and childcare responsibilities. The design of the Mountain Haven building should also consider the latest research on daycare centers, healthcare facilities, and interior design. This includes using materials that are free of harmful substances, creating spaces that promote learning and nurture children's development (Monoko, Mukurunge, Bhila, 2021), and using light and color to create a healing environment for parents and children to reduce stress and strengthen the mood, mind, and body. (Khaleghimoghaddam, 2023) By incorporating these principles into its design, the Mountain Haven building can provide single parents and their children with a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment in which to thrive.

Authors: Rainey Hughes, Avalon Marker, Elizabeth Bouwhuis, Yeshaswini Dudde, Bryan Dopp, Scot Carington, Jared Nelson. Mentors: Daniel Clark. Insitution: Weber State University. Antibiotic resistance is a pressing concern within the medical community as bacteria's resistance to antibiotics is escalating alongside the increased usage of antibiotics. According to the CDC, there are close to 2.8 million antibiotic resistant infections every year, with about 35,000 of them resulting in death. This issue has prompted antibiotic stewardship programs in clinics and hospitals to avoid adding to the list of resistant bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus, including the formidable methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strain, poses a grave threat due to its antibiotic resistance. The challenges stemming from this resistance become even more formidable when these infecting bacteria assemble into biofilms. Biofilms are robust, adhesive layers composed of bacteria and their extracellular matrices of polysaccharides, proteins, and DNA. In clinical environments like hospitals, biofilms frequently develop on medical devices such as stents, catheters, and IV lines, as well as on metal and plastic surfaces of medical equipment. These biofilms exacerbate antibiotic treatments due to incomplete eradication; the most resilient bacteria persist after exposure. There is evidence indicating that bacteriophages, which are viruses that will a target particular species or strain of bacteria, have the ability to encode depolymerases. These depolymerases can identify biofilms, adhere to them, and subsequently break down extracellular polymeric substances. Furthermore, bacteriophages can produce lysins, which induce bacterial cell death through cellular lysis. These characteristics can potentially render the bacteria more susceptible to antibiotics. The use of bacteriophages can also be beneficial when it comes to the concern of opportunistic infections. Due to its selectivity to specific bacteria, it can attack the target hosts and leave the natural flora intact.In our research, we have induced biofilms in our bioreactor. With these biofilms we have been able to test different concentrations of multiple antibiotics, including Vancomycin, Oxacillin, and Carbenicillin in combination with phage K at different concentrations. Our research is aimed at showing a synergistic relationship between phage K and antibiotics, that will allow a subinhibitory concentration of both, in combination, to induce a complete kill and clearance. We have measured this by evaluating bacterial growth via absorbance measurements at 600nm in a Tecan plate reader. We have also measured biofilm clearance using the plate reader and measuring fluorescence at 630nm with a biofilm tablet assay. It was found that a subinhibitory concentration of antibiotic alone did not induce a complete kill and clearing, and that a subinhibitory concentration of phage alone did not induce a complete kill and clearing. However, once these concentrations were used in combination with each other, the complete clearing and killing of MRSA was achieved, and furthermore, was achieved with the antibiotic that the staphylococcus aureus is resistant to. Leading us to believe that we have found a renewed use for a currently ineffective defense mechanism.

Authors: Joshua Lim. Mentors: Nathan Crane. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Metal additive manufacturing (3D printing) technologies have evolved in the past decade to produce intricate parts in aerospace, car, and biomedical industries. While previous work has been done on single materials, metal-metal composites can expand performance but hasn’t been thoroughly explored. This work investigates ways of creating composites by molted bronze infiltration. At a certain temperature, bronze is melted and seeps through parts that are made via additive manufacturing. By altering the geometry of the pathways that the molten bronze will travel through or the metal particles themselves, one can create unique parts that control where the bronze infiltrates. Initial results indicate that mechanical properties were measurably strengthened by the addition of molten bronze and hypothetically could be used to create thermally graded parts, optimized for specific applications where heat transfer is a parameter of interest.

Authors: Alexander Romano, Matthew Hesterman, Rachel Hill, Melodie Weller. Mentors: Melodie Weller. Insitution: University of Utah. Sjogren’s Disease (SjD) is an autoimmune disease diagnosed by symptoms of reduced tear and saliva excretion, accumulation of lymphocyte foci in the salivary glands, and the occurrence of antibodies against Ro (SSA), La (SSB), and nuclear proteins. The cause of SjD is unknown, though previous studies have detected the sequence and antigens of Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) in the minor salivary gland acinar, ductal, and adipose cells of patients with SjD; without the typical presence of a Hepatitis B coinfection. In this study, murine models were transduced with Adeno-associated virus containing expression cassettes for Luciferase (control), small, large, or a combination of both small and large HDV antigens to evaluate the impact of HDV antigen expression on salivary gland function and SjD autoimmune disease development. After a ten- or four-month period, the models were analyzed. Findings included a significant increase of inflammation for samples expressing both small and large HDV antigens, a significant increase of anti-SSA(La) antibodies in samples expressing the short HDV antigen, and a correlation between increased overall inflammation and decreased overall saliva flow. Performing qPCR methods verified the amount of HDV in the submandibular glands and Illumina sequencing portrayed an increase in glycolysis and beta oxidation metabolism in models with detectible HDV sequence. The models showed significantly increased IgM expression in the HDV exposed murine models, without significant change of other antibodies. Future plans include an ELISA diagnostic assay to verify the antibody levels and further sequencing analysis. With this information we can build a better picture of the direct mechanisms of HDV-mediated changes in salivary gland dysfunction and determine the extent that HDV can inducing systemic SjD symptoms.

Authors: Kimberly Lewin. Mentors: Anne Francis Bayless. Insitution: Utah State University. I have been exploring the relationship between connection, disconnection, and control, and I presented my research on these topics to three composers who wrote a piece based off of their interpretation. At URCO, I will perform one of these compositions.

Authors: Cari Monson, Julie Pynn. Mentors: Julie Pynn. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Background music refers to music that is played while the listener’s attention is focused on another task (Radocy & Boyle, 1988). Research suggests that the effect of background music on performance during a cognitive task showed improvements in episodic memory. Music activates the limbic system which is involved in controlling memory(e.g., Blood et al., 1999). The purpose of this study is to predict the relationship between music and performance on a cognitive task. It is hypothesized that students who listen to white noise while studying a text will recall more information, than those listening to classical music or pop music. In particular, the lyrics in pop music will be especially distracting(Cheah, 2022). Studying the relationship between music and performance on a cognitive task has implications for understanding memory. Results are forth coming

Authors: Kaerli Ringle. Mentors: Johnathan Chidester. Insitution: Southern Utah University. This presentation will discuss the way that music affects memory retention, memory recall, and how it can influence the memory of moments, moods, and emotions. The Public Broadcasting System produced an educational video about how listening to music boosts learning and memory. Research from Harvard noted that while neuro-imaging a patient, singing will help a patient during recovery with a brain injury or a stroke. This results because the left-brain region is majorly responsible for our speech function. Researchers also noted that because singing takes place in the right hemisphere, recovering stroke, Dementia and Alzheimer’s patients are able to regain their speech through singing and eventually being able to transition back into speaking. Having knowledge of how music affects the brain can help build great study habits and empower people to retain new information, recall old information, and have influence over their and other people’s emotions. This is important because music is around us all of the time, whether it is walking through the grocery store or playing through earbuds while studying, and if it has such power to influence these things, then why not use it to the fullest of its potential?

Authors: Julia Gilpin, Lucy Bowden, Sela Harris, Elisa McRae, Jenny Bean, Brooklyn Jones. Mentors: Bradford Berges. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is a significant human pathogen that has acquired antibiotic resistance, posing a global health threat. This bacterium is prevalent in livestock, raw meat, and healthcare settings, leading to infections ranging from mild to life-threatening. The emergence of multi-drug resistant strains, such as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), further complicates treatment. The mechanisms of antibiotic resistance transfer, especially within biofilms, remain poorly understood.This research aims to investigate horizontal gene transfer within biofilms of SA isolated from humans. Leveraging the work of the Berges laboratory and techniques used by other researchers. The experimental design involves the use of heat-killed cells as donors to prevent conjugation, shedding light on how biofilm structure influences transformation efficiency.To address the hypothesis that biofilms serve as hotspots for horizontal gene transfer, the research employs a two-component system for upregulating natural competence genes in SA under biofilm growth conditions. This approach will allow us to detect natural transformation, advancing our understanding of SA infections closely associated with biofilm formation. If successful, this study will provide insights into how SA acquires antibiotic-resistant genes and may lead to the development of preventive measures and treatment strategies to combat drug-resistant strains.

Authors: Sara Peel, Addisyn Bushman, Adam Rice. Mentors: Xinru Page. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Social media has become a tool used in everyday life by individuals worldwide. While this tool can help individuals build new social connections and strengthen relationships, it can be a lose-lose situation for certain populations. Recent work has found that autistic users are one of these populations that experience greater harm and negative experiences using social media. These additional harms stem from differences in how autistic individuals perceive social media norms and interpret online interactions. We have developed 16-week’s worth of digital educational material based on this research to teach autistic young adults social media literacy for Facebook and Instagram, to mitigate some of these social media challenges. With input from a multi-disciplinary team of autism researchers and a panel of autistic students at our university, we created these educational materials to be taught in 1-hour weekly sessions to individuals with autism in a classroom environment. The materials consist of topic-based slides and associated practice exercises that employ a decision-based learning approach that breaks down complicated decisions into several simpler choices. To determine whether participants have learned safer online behaviors, we administer scenario-based assessments at the beginning and end of each session, conduct daily diary-based check-ins, and weekly one-on-one interviews, and analyze behavioral data collected from their personal social media accounts such as posted comments and responses to connection requests.We are currently deploying the 16-week educational course at a local day program to autistic young adults who have no intellectual disability and have had negative experiences using social media. Initial results indicate that the educational materials are helping mitigate the harms of social media. Participants have shared that the educational sessions taught them to disconnect from potentially unsafe users, learn social tags and interaction norms, and change safety settings within each app that they weren’t aware they had control over. In addition to the current longitudinal study, we have several other field deployments planned in the coming months which will allow us to refine the digital assets for this educational intervention in preparation for making them available to the public.