2024 Abstracts

Authors: Addison Smartt, Timothy Smartt. Mentors: Jeff Edwards. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Since the 1990's, the United States has experienced a crisis of opioid addiction and overdose. The effects of this are found close to home – with Utah being one of 22 states with an overdose rate higher than the national average. The effects of opioids on the ventral tegmental area (VTA), also known as the reward center of the brain, are a major contributor to opioid dependence. Drug dependence is created by molecular and cellular changes in this region of the brain. Therefore, we will examine changes in gene expression in the reward center in response to chronic morphine exposure. To do this, we will employ quantitative PCR on the VTA by first isolating mRNA, then reverse transcribing it into a cDNA library. Next, we created primer pairs for 26 different gene targets that were selected for their participation in the reward pathway. These targets include opioid receptors, glutamate receptors, cannabinoid receptors, and transcriptional regulators. Early results have identified mu and kappa opiate receptor expression downregulation after morphine exposure. Collectively, our data will provide understanding into how morphine exposure changes the expression of important gene targets in the VTA, providing insight into the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for opioid use disorder.

Authors: Zach Fiore. Mentors: Jared Nielsen. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Gait apraxia is a type of apraxia that affects lower limb use in walking. It is characterized by difficulty initiating gait, freezing of gait, and other gait disturbances that cannot be attributed to complications affecting sensory, motor, or cerebellar function, psychiatric disease, nor ataxia. Symptoms often present following brain trauma. Previous research has indicated that gait apraxia may be linked to lesions in the frontal lobes, basal ganglia and supplementary motor area. However, the specific cerebral location has been debated with minimal research done on the symptom’s implicated neural circuits. The purpose of this study is to determine the networks in the brain that are involved in the pathophysiology of gait apraxia. To determine this, we used the lesion network mapping method. A systematic literature review was performed, with specific inclusion criteria, to find case studies of patients presenting with gait apraxia stemming from acquired brain injury (n=15). Lesion network mapping analysis (Fox et al., 2018) was performed on 15 cases with a large cohort of healthy control resting-state scans (n=1000). The analysis showed that lesions exhibited functional connectivity to the bilateral medial dorsal and pulvinar nuclei of the thalami (n=15), which supports previous associations of basal ganglia damage contributing to gait apraxia. A novel region, the cingulate cortex (n=15), was also found to be functionally connected to the lesion networks. This region is a part of the cingulo-opercular network, responsible for many functions, including action. This network has recently been found to display strong functional connectivity with the somato-cognitive action network, responsible for coordinating movements with cognitive processes. Further research is necessary to determine the mechanism of how these networks interact in contributing to gait apraxia.

Authors: Thomas Cryer, Brandon Ro. Mentors: Brandon Ro. Insitution: Utah Valley University. ABSTRACT: This study seeks to understand the visual elements of home design that attract the human eye. Specifically, it aims to compare the visual appeal of traditional homes to modern homes using eye-tracking software. However, this study focuses solely on visual analysis, leaving the exploration of emotional and cultural factors for future research. The purpose is to understand the neurological connections between architectural design and human preferences, shedding light on which elements make homes visually appealing. In the mid-20th century, the architectural landscape shifted towards modernism, characterized by functionalism and minimalism. However, recent research suggests neurological links to architectural preferences that challenge modern design's dominance. This study is relevant today as it explores why people are drawn to traditional homes, considering the current preferences of professional architects. This research contributes to the understanding of how architectural aesthetics impact individuals and communities and offering insights into the neurological aspects that influence architectural preferences. The methodology involves analyzing six homes, three traditional and three modern. The analysis will be conducted using 3M Visual Attention Software individually on each home by tracking participants' eye movements, and then given a numerical ranking of 1-6 based on their visual appeal. Subsequently, a comparative analysis will identify the most and least visually attractive homes. Anticipated results from the software suggest traditional homes will score higher due to the "character," or the details that the eye looks, which are missing in modern architecture. The discussion will explore the idea that contemporary homes, by incorporating traditional elements such as proportion, may achieve higher appeal and last for generations of homeowners. Contemporary designs can evolve into "traditional" homes by aligning with the preferences discovered. By understanding what elements people are naturally drawn to, architects can create more appealing and lasting designs, thereby bridging the gap between modern and traditional aesthetics.

Authors: Andy Sefcik. Mentors: Jamie Johnson. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Utah Valley University's Repertory Ballet Ensemble (RBE) has made it a priority to expose students to contemporary ballet techniques. In the Summer and Fall of 2023, Complexions Contemporary Ballet (CCB) Former Ballet Master, Christina Johnson, and Répétiteur, Jourdan Epstein visited the university to teach NIQUE classes and set repertoire on RBE for the February 2024 concerts. CCB was founded in 1994 by Master Choreographer Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson with the intent of reinventing dance by fusing a variety of styles and techniques. Based on phenomenological field research, gathered during the CCB Winter Intensive, I intend to illuminate the hallmarks of the CCB generated “NIQUE” technique in comparison to Vaganova approaches to ballet technique. In this presentation, I will present phrasework in the style of classical Vaganova ballet technique in comparison to NIQUE technique to create a clear visual difference between the two movement styles. This research shares the fundamentals of NIQUE technique to highlight how it is connected to and how it has developed beyond classical ballet technique.

Authors: Spencer Jezek, Malorie Wilwand, Joshua Sponbeck, Hunter Jack, Kaden Kennard, A Wayne Johnson. Mentors: A Wayne Johnson. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Hamstring injuries are one of the most common injuries sustained in professional football with 800+ hamstring injuries per year. These hamstring injuries often occur between late swing (eccentric contraction) and early ground contact.PURPOSE: To investigate the correlation of eccentric hamstring strength to muscle volume across positional groups.METHODS:Athletes were divided into three homogeneous groups based on position (big (e.g., linemen), skill (e.g., receivers), combo (e.g., linebackers)). Seventy-three NCAA Division I football players participated (24 big, 37 skill, and 12 combo). Hamstring strength was collected for each leg while performing 3 Nordic curls on a Nordbord device. The peak force of each leg was summed for our data analysis. Collective hamstring volume for each athlete was found through MRI. RESULTS:A Pearson’s product correlation demonstrated an overall moderate correlation (r = 0.52, p < 0.0001) between hamstring muscle volume and strength, with skill players demonstrating a strong correlation (r = 0.66, p < 0.0001), combo players demonstrating a moderate correlation (r = 0.49, p < 0.0001), and big players demonstrating a weak correlation (r = 0.39, p < 0.0001). An ANOVA showed no statistically significant difference of hamstring strength between positional groups (p = 0.1074) relative to hamstring volume (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION:The observed overall moderate correlation between hamstring strength and muscle volume across positional groups indicates that factors outside of muscle volume contribute to muscle strength. Our data also suggests that, regardless of position, hamstring muscle strength was similar when accounting for volume. Muscle volume was the best predictor of strength for the skill group. However, other factors should be considered, such as motor control factors. In the combo and big groups, these additional factors play a larger role.

Authors: Ada Cottam Allen, Mikhael T Semaan. Mentors: Mikhael T Semaan. Insitution: University of Utah. Regularly buoyed from thermodynamic equilibrium by complex and fluctuating environments, living systems must continually respond and adapt to external stimuli. Recent tools from stochastic thermodynamics place concrete energetic and entropic bounds on these processes, for systems arbitrarily far from equilibrium both in and out of steady-state conditions, and thus reveal mechanisms by which these systems absorb and dissipate energy to function. Here, we leverage these tools to simulate and calculate the thermodynamic signatures of several models of sodium and potassium ion channels---channels crucial to propagating action potentials in mammalian neurons---as driven by biologically-realistic action potential spiking protocols. Thus uncovering their detailed energetic responses to such complex environmental conditions, these results enable detailed comparison between the thermodynamic functionality of each channel type with driving one would expect in-vivo. When applied to competing models of the same channel, these tools also provide additional criteria for model selection; to this end, we close by calculating expected ionic currents, directly facilitating comparison with dynamically-driven patch-clamp experiments.

Authors: Ezra Wylie, Merrill Halling. Mentors: Merrill Halling. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Various parts of Cercocarpus ledifolius, or curled leaf mountain mahogany, was used for medicinal purposes by Native Americans for a wide variety of uses including tuberculosis, syphilitic sores, and venereal diseases. Symbiotic microorganisms, called endophytes, often produce these compounds for defense of the tree. Novel compounds have been found in plants which have demonstrated antibiotic, antifungal, or other biological activities. Endophytes were grown from various parts of the tree, including roots, stems, branches, and leaves. The bioactive compounds were isolated and identified using chromatographic and spectroscopic methods.

Authors: Harrison Denning, Ammon Bullinger. Mentors: Jeff Hill. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Tensegrity Structures, in their most basic form, consist of rigid bar members held together by cables or strings, with bars being under pure compressive stress and strings being solely under tension. These structures are valued for their high strength-to-weight ratios and unique damping and stiffness properties. Each of these characteristics are wholly dependent on cable tension between the bar members, and structure behavior varies based on how much or how little tension is in each cable. Current research has not established an easy or repeatable way to accurately measure or precisely set the tension in these cables. Our research suggests a novel application of acoustic string frequency measurement to accurately measure the tension in tensegrity cables and pairs this work with a simple construction technique broadly applicable to tensegrity structures. The use of precise cable winding is applied to tensegrity to allow easy construction and small changes to cable tension. A method of measuring string vibrations with a microphone and off-the-shelf software is applied to then measure the tension accurately within each cable member. These methods provide an easily generalizable method for constructing tensegrity models and a high degree of accuracy in measuring the tension in tensegrity cables. These developments may in the future be paired with computational algorithms to create easy instructions on how to adjust individual cable tensions to achieve structure-wide characteristics. This ability will allow for the accurate construction of physical tensegrity models that can better replicate desired characteristics of stiffness and strength currently represented primarily in computer simulations.

Authors: Kessley Durrant. Mentors: Alexandra Giannell. Insitution: Utah Valley University. I am doing research on Our Lady of Guadalupe, her significance to Mexican culture, and the Aztec goddess she was transformed from. As a Mexican who grew up Catholic, Guadalupe is an important symbol to me, and such an integral part to Mexican culture. Before she was Guadalupe she was known as Tonantzin. She presented herself to Juan Diego when he was lost in the desert and hopeless. She told him that she would change to save her people. Tonantzin means Our Mother, Mother Earth. The giver of life and she changed in order to save her people. She became Guadalupe. She told Juan Diego that her robe would be the night sky and she would protect all her children from the misdeeds that were being forced on them. So, her symbol is a sign of safety, where people would go when they had nowhere else to turn. It was a way for the Aztec culture to live on in secret and for our culture to grow in the only way it could. I want to be able to represent her as a Goddess before she transformed into Our Lady Guadalupe. I want to open up the conversation with my fellow Mexicans and start getting closer to our roots and understanding our culture better before the conquistadors. I also want to be able to teach others of our culture and the changes that occurred.

Authors: Chance Witt, Devan Hill. Mentors: Jianlong Han, Seth Armstrong, Sarah Duffin. Insitution: Southern Utah University. We study the steady state solutions of a Lotka-Volterra model with crowing effects when delta=2. A nonstandard numerical scheme is proposed, and numerical experiments predict the long term behavior of the numerical solution.

Authors: Libby Brooks. Mentors: Natasha Pavlova. Insitution: University of Utah. About 90% of cancer deaths are from the development of secondary tumor growths from a process called metastasis. As cancer cells divide uncontrollably nutrients from nearby tissue – specifically the amino acid glutamine – are depleted. Glutamine is one of the most abundant amino acids in the bloodstream, and most cells cannot live without it. Tumors have poor vasculature which further contributes to the depletion of nutrients. Even in nutrient-depleted environments, tumors have found ways to grow.Tumors are comprised of cancer cells as well as non-cancerous stromal cells. Studies have shown stromal cells can synthesize glutamine which they release into the tumor microenvironment feeding cancer cells and allowing them to grow. However, the signaling pathway used between the cancer and stromal cells in this relationship remains unclear.To study the signaling pathway by which stromal cells are synthesizing glutamine I treated cells with a common anti-inflammatory drug, dexamethasone. Mice receiving dexamethasone over a long period of time had increased lung metastases when injected with cancer cells. Dexamethasone binds to the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) which activates the expression of glutamine synthetase (GLUL) enzyme mRNA. The expression of GLUL causes the cell to synthesize glutamine. However, the role of GR, in regulating GLUL expression in tumors, remains insufficiently studied.The experiments done for this project show that dexamethasone induces GLUL expression in stromal cells such that they start releasing glutamine. This may promote growth of cancer cells even when there is a deficit of nutrients around. It is hypothesized that due to this property, dexamethasone increases risk of metastasis. This project will aid in the development of cancer therapeutics to treat metastatic cancers.

Authors: Nawres Al Saud. Mentors: Alexandra Giannell. Insitution: Utah Valley University. My work beautifully embodies the concept of oneness in diversity by seamlessly blending various elements, perspectives, and voices into a harmonious whole. Like a symphony of colors, my art celebrates the rich tapestry of human experience and the interconnectedness of all things. It serves as a powerful reminder that despite our differences, we share a common humanity. My work is a testament to the idea that diversity is not a source of division but rather a source of strength, resilience, and creativity. It encourages us to embrace the uniqueness of each individual and culture while recognizing the threads that unite us, ultimately emphasizing that we are all part of a larger, interconnected whole.

Authors: Caroline Nielson, Connor Baird. Mentors: Robert Kagabo. Insitution: Utah Tech University. Opioid Use Disorders Treatment Related Disparities in Patients with Psychiatric IllnessAuthors: Caroline Nielson, Connor Baird, Robert Kagabo, PhD, MSW, MPHAbstractBackgroundThis study is a review of peer-reviewed articles of Opioid Use Disorders (OUD) treatment among individuals with psychiatric illness. OUD is a subset of substance use disorders (SUD) that is chronic and a growing public health concern. There were 47,000 opioid-related deaths in 2018 in the US; OUD is responsible globally for 68% of the drug-related deaths. OUD can result from either prescribed or non-prescribed opioid use. Some populations such as individuals with psychiatric illness have high rates of prescription opioids yet face opioid use treatment and research-related disparities. This review study examines OUD treatment and research-related disparities among patients with psychiatric illness with the goal to improve treatment among this vulnerable population.MethodsUsing PubMed and PsycINFO databases, we performed a search of journal articles regarding OUD treatment which were published between 2010 and 2023. We then completed a review of the journal articles using narrative overview guidelines. All articles reviewed were from randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies. Examples of search terms used include OUD treatment and mental health; OUD and psychiatric illness RCT studies; and opioid use treatment and mental health. Studies included were those of OUD treatment among individuals with psychiatric illness and or with a DSM5 or DSM4 diagnosis. Any studies that did not include OUD treatment and, or a DSM diagnosis, or RCT design were excluded. To avoid duplication, only one journal article from a study was included. ResultsThere were 18 journal articles reviewed that met the inclusion criteria. Treatment periods ranged from 8-24 weeks. Generally, studies excluded individuals with diagnoses such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorders, or other serious mental health diagnoses. Several studies included participants with a DSM5 or DSM4 diagnosis of OUD, while excluding individuals with other psychiatric or substance use disorders. Most of the studies used pharmacological treatments and only a few studies had combined pharmacological and behavioral treatments. The common medicines in pharmacological treatments were methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone.ConclusionOUD treatment and research related disparities exist among individuals with psychiatric illness, yet this is the population who suffer most from OUD. Additional studies regarding OUD treatment among individuals with psychiatric illness are needed to improve OUD treatments and reduce OUD-related morbidity and mortality rates.

Authors: Chad Hyer, Bradley Bundy, Tyler Free. Mentors: Bradley Bundy. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Current trends in healthcare suggest a movement towards point of care treatment and diagnosis. This transition towards local or even at-home testing necessitates dramatic decreases in costs of diagnostic methods. Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) systems prove a potential tool for bringing diagnostic solutions to patients by providing patients with inexpensive, easy to use, and accurate tests that can be stored for long periods of time at ambient temperature. These CFPS diagnostic methods rely on the production of biosensor proteins using isolated molecular machinery from bacterial cell lysates and necessary substrates. When combined with human body fluids, these biosensors can detect the presence of important biomarkers of disease, aiding in diagnosis.CFPS systems, however, can prove difficult to use with human body fluids as CFPS systems rely on mRNA directed production of proteins, and human samples contain significant concentrations of RNAses which inhibit the production of biosensor proteins, preventing proper test results. Traditionally, this issue can be remedied in a CFPS system using commercially sourced RNAse inhibitors, but these inhibitors dramatically increase prices. Here we report on our production of RNAse inhibitors within a CFPS system to decrease costs of CFPS diagnostics by 90%. In our work, we report on the optimization of reaction conditions for producing RNAse inhibitors within a CFPS glutamine biosensor for use as a cancer treatment monitoring diagnostic. Using our methods, we expect to be able to dramatically reduce the cost of CFPS based diagnostic tools, helping empower the shift to affordable point of care healthcare.

Authors: Bradley Lawson, Lukas Keller, Marshall Burrows, Sam Perkins, Emery Wheeler. Mentors: Ronald Sims. Insitution: Utah State University. Subcritical water hydrolysis (SWH) is a developing method of processing organic materials/waste without the use of acids and alkali materials. SWH lyses peptides differently than acid hydrolysis and can produce Maillard products, which have various effects in cell culture. In this study, a batch-mode pressure vessel with a semi-continuous sampling apparatus will be used to optimize temperature and retention time for the hydrolysis of Chlorella vulgaris biomass for the development of serum-free (or low-serum) cell culture media. Hydrolysis will be done at temperatures from 140°C to 300°C and retention times from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. The SWH products will be assessed for their general protein content, lipid content, bioactivity, and carbohydrate content. These efforts will be of use to Upside Foods in its efforts to create sustainable and ethical cultured meat products.

Authors: Brooklyn Clark. Mentors: Larry Howell. Insitution: Brigham Young University. The application of origami principles in mechanical design has led to novel approaches for dealing with the unique challenges of space applications by improving packing efficiency and increasing customizability. An innovative origami pattern within this context is the "flasher pattern," characterized by its geometric panels and circular deployment. The objective of this research is to develop a robust methodology for optimizing the placement of circular optical wafers within the polygonal flasher panels. These panels have varying polygonal sizes and shapes, and the wafers must be placed precisely in each panel to maximize optical properties for a LIDAR space telescope application based on the flasher pattern. This optimization utilizes existing optimization functions in MATLAB and original code. To achieve this optimization, a process is employed in which a series of random points is generated within the overlapping area defined by the flasher panel's vertices and the optical wafer's radius. Each point is then iteratively tested to determine if it lies within the polygon, the circle, neither, or both. The centroid of the points that were within both shapes is subsequently calculated. This process is repeated with new sets of random points centered on the previously found centroid until an optimal wafer placement is determined. Optimal wafer placement will maximize the usable optical area and performance in a panel. This process can then be applied for each unique panel in a flasher pattern to determine the best placement of each wafer. This process can then be utilized in other origami-based optical applications, leading to a broader impact in the field.

Authors: Seunghwan Shin, Sydney Coates. Mentors: Guizella Rocabado. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Organic chemistry is one of the most feared and failed courses in the undergraduate curriculum. Consequently, studying what makes this course “too difficult” as perceived by students is worthwhile because these perceptions result in many students not considering STEM majors because they require chemistry courses. Our research group has investigated perceived costs in general chemistry, and this study expands our understanding of these constructs in organic chemistry. Students’ perceived costs of a chemistry class can be many, such as task effort, loss of valued alternatives, emotional, and others. These costs might be overcome by students’ interests and goals, yet the level of perceived costs might have a lasting impact on the students’ overall perception of chemistry and their desire to pursue chemistry and other STEM careers in the future. In this study we investigated the mentioned subclasses of perceived costs, other salient perceived costs, and mastery or performance goal orientations and the impact these constructs may have on students’ experiences in organic chemistry classrooms. Expanding on a previous study in general chemistry, we present the results of interviews we conducted with students in this class. Our results reveal that students struggle with the content, pace, and overall difficulty of the material. These results are not surprising; however, we also uncovered the students’ deep desire to learn and understand the material, the motivating effect of having a good relationship with their professor, and many other themes that emerged from our conversations.

Authors: Nathan McCoy. Mentors: Jeff Mason. Insitution: Utah State University. Aging-associated changes in motor function often leads to the development of musculoskeletal tremors. In women, the development/severity of tremors is causally related to ovarian failure atmenopause. In the laboratory, mice can serve as an effective model for the development of aging-associated tremors. Based on our previous studies, ovarian somatic tissues transplanted from young mice to old mice significantly decreased the tremor amplitudes and lowered levels ofgliosis in the brains of the older recipient mice, compared to age-matched control mice. The study was carried out using both germ-cell-containing and germ-cell-depleted ovarian tissue. Neurological improvement and overall health were achieved using both types of tissue with similar results indicating that it may be a non-hormonal influence that is responsible for this phenomenon. This study is aimed to identify which properties of ovarian tissue causes these neurological health benefits to occur. Ovarian tissues excrete exosomes, vesicles that can befilled with miRNA which are transported throughout the body. We aim to isolate these exosomes from ovarian tissues using density gradient based centrifugation and have them introduced via injection intraperitoneally into mice to see if the same neurological improvements are achievedas it was done in mice with ovarian somatic tissue transplants. If such improvements are corroborated then ovarian exosomes will be sequenced to identify which miRNA sequences signal the body to undergo these health improvements.