2024 Abstracts

Authors: Lizzie Stewart, Hayden Underwood, Dallas Goolsby, Spencer Sears. Mentors: Camilla Hodge. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Social connection is critical to understanding how individuals interact with one another and form social bonds in groups. Our research evaluates the effects on social connection based on the Ecology of Family Experiences framework, which considers the interplay between three domains: family, activity, and time. We believe that the EFE is a transferable framework that will have important social implications for understanding interpersonal relationships and designing experiences intended to increase social connection. In this study, we examine the relationship between social connection and two variables: 1) social interaction, or the behavior between two or more people crossing paths. Social interaction considers joint or parallel interaction styles between people; 2) self-disclosure, or interaction where one intends to willfully and deliberately divulge something personal to another. We hypothesize that social interaction and self-disclosure influence social connections outside the family context. We seek to shed light on the mechanisms that shape and alter the quality and depth of interpersonal connection. In our experiment, we used a 2x2 quasi-experimental design. Participants were assigned to one of four conditions varying in self-disclosure (high vs. low) and social interaction (joint vs. parallel). Self-disclosure questions asked participants to answer prescribed questions, including highly personalized questions (high disclosure) and non-personalized information (low disclosure). Participants either interacted with a partner (joint) or wrote responses next to a partner without verbal communication (parallel). Social connection was measured using the Inclusion of Others and Self Scale. The sample consisted of 148 university students. The average participant was a white, unmarried, 20-year-old from a middle- to high-class economic background. Data analysis was conducted using mixed model techniques that took into account the unique dyadic relationship of each pairing. Results suggested a significant interaction between self-disclosure and social interaction (t = 2.354, p < 0.05). With high self-disclosure and joint activity having a mean of 4.54, high self-disclosure and parallel activity having a mean of 2.33, low self-disclosure and joint activity having a mean of 3.47, and low disclosure parallel activity having a mean of 2.01. These findings highlight the importance of self-disclosure and social interaction styles in influencing social connection, extending the applicability of the EFE framework beyond the family unit.

Authors: Adam Smith, adam@tallsmith.com. Mentors: Kal Munis. Insitution: Utah Valley University. The social desirability bias is a well-documented and well-studied phenomenon in the social sciences, but it has only been in relatively recent literature that experimentalists have begun to study the effects treatments have on the manner in which the social desirability bias is reflected in social behavior. The aim of this study is to test the effects of perceived privacy influences the way people answer this question: "What is the aim of politics?" This study seeks to replicate findings in other research that has delved into the relationship between perceived privacy and social desirability. Another significant area of interest is how neurodivergent identity, especially autism, fits into the relationship. With this study, we can better understand how social desirability affects political discourse as well as provide insights into the neurodivergent mind and how it relates to politics.

Authors: Nicholas Poll. Mentors: Moriel Zelikowsky. Insitution: University of Utah. Social interaction is one of the chief drivers of evolution and natural selection. Animal interactions shape the ecological world and have shaped the world’s evolutionary timeline. Of the many types of animal interactions, one of the most influential to behavior and development is aggression. Many animals' aggressive behaviors and mechanisms are so distinct that their origins can be traced back to specific selective pressures. These pressures range from reproductive competition to predator-prey interactions and have apparent effects on many species’ developments. There are many stressors that can increase aggressive tendencies found in mammals, yet it’s clear that the neural bases that connect these stressors and their behavioral responses are understudied. The targeted brain region in this project is the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). The BNST is a neurochemically diverse node of the extended amygdala that has been implicated in mediating stress and sensory information. It anatomically acts as a relay station between a number of different structures including the hypothalamus and amygdala. The BNST has been implicated to have a role in stressor-induced aggressive behaviors; however, the neural mechanisms that connect this region and these behaviors are relatively understudied. Corticotropin-releasing Hormone (CRH) in mammals displays upregulation following the introduction of a stressor and has been found to mediate aggression and anxiety. Similarly, tachykinin-expressing neurons have been shown to have a role in mediating aggression in mammals. While CRH and tachykinin’s link to anxiety and aggression is well supported, it is not clear to what extent it has on BNST. This project aims to provide data to support the role that CRH and Tachykinin 2 (Tac2) in the BNST have in mediating aggression in mice through optogenetic stimulation.

Authors: Cole Murphy, Andrew Blazzard, Austin Barney. Mentors: Patrick Steffen. Insitution: Brigham Young University. BackgroundHigher levels of social media use (SMU) have demonstrated associations with higher levels of self-reported stress. However, the association between SMU and physiological markers of stress, such as heart rate variability (HRV), is less understood. We hypothesize that increased time spent each day on social media will be associated with decreased baseline HRV, but only for individuals who report high rates of stress. We also hypothesize that time spent on social media will be associated with decreased baseline HRV for individuals with higher levels of neuroticism. When considered together, we hypothesize the largest association between SMU and baseline HRV for individuals with higher levels of both stress and neuroticism.MethodsUsing a sample of 165 undergraduate students, we measured baseline heart rate variability with a 3-lead ECG. We determined the average SMU using the Social Media Use Questionnaire (SMUQ). We also ascertained self-reported stress levels using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS), and levels of neuroticism using the IPIP NEO Neuroticism Extraversion Openness - PR (IPIP-NEO-120). We will use multivariate regression for our analysis.ResultsResults are undergoing analysis. ConclusionsWhile the use of social media by itself may not have a clear direct association with HRV, it is important to consider the effects of social media use on people with a high emotional state of stress and/or high levels of neuroticism. As public policy continues to be developed for social media, it is important to consider how people with higher tendencies to become stressed and those with higher levels of neuroticism can be affected by social media use if unregulated.

Authors: Ives Hong, Grace Carsey, Tara Caplin, Hunter Mitchell, Peg Bird, Bridger Lisonbee, Maria Balaceanu, Dannelle Larsen-Rife. Mentors: Dannelle Larsen-Rife. Insitution: Utah Tech University. Attachment is fundamental to human development. The parent-child relationship impacts the physical and mental health of the child, particularly social development. The two attachment dimensions — attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance underlie the caregiver-child relationship in early childhood (Bowlby et al., 1973). Attachment anxiety and avoidance may change or persist throughout the life span. Major life transitions may influence attachment, however, people tend to revert to previous attachment trajectories after experiencing life transition (Fraley et al., 2021). Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to attachment insecurity which may have notable outcomes in adult relationships (Ross et al., 2022; Synder et al., 2023). Individuals with attachment avoidance and anxiety may have difficulty maintaining existing connections. People with high attachment anxiety and inadequate social support experience poor health outcomes (Stanton & Campbell. 2014). Lack of social support predict post-traumatic stress and thoughts of suicide (Scoglio et al., 2023). Loneliness and social isolation are associated with insecure attachment (Spence et al., 2020). Loneliness is correlated with poor mental health ratings and symptoms, and even mortality (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015; Jenkins et al., 2023). This study evaluates early attachment, health, and relationships. Approximately 200 adults will be recruited to complete the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised questionnaire (Fraley et al., 2011), Adverse Childhood Experience Questionnaire (Felitti et al.,1998), the Social Support Questionnaire-Short Form (SSQ6; Sarason et al. 1987), and the three-Item Loneliness Scale (Russell et al., 1980 ).We expect attachment anxiety and avoidance will be positively correlated with loneliness and negatively correlated with social support, while ACEs moderate these associations. Examining how ACEs may interact with attachment avoidance and anxiety may prompt early intervention to improve the caregiver-child relationship.

Authors: Jacob Hutchings, Harrison Li. Mentors: Joe Price. Insitution: Brigham Young University. We examine the effectiveness of federal school nutrition policies and regulations; specifically, the recent transitional targets for sodium reduction announced in 2021. We performed web-scraping to gather over 5 million observations representing every U.S. state and over 2000 school districts and then constructed a weekly average of sodium served in school lunches by district. Using this data, we apply OLS regression with district fixed effects and find that the policy caused a significant, one-time reduction in weekly average sodium of approximately 220 mg. We further explore this result by looking at heterogeneous responses to the policy by political partisanship. We find that there is a significant, partisan response to the transitional targets. Lastly, we consider an adverse effect of sodium reduction by looking at potential sodium substitutes in school lunches. Contrary to expectations, our data shows a statistically significant correlation between decreased sodium levels and decreased sugar levels. To conclude, sodium reduction policies reduce sodium and other harmful nutrients but may be less effective across party lines.

Authors: Karen Hoggan, Adia Migliori, Jonathan Harr, David Aguilar Alvarez. Mentors: David Aguilar Alvarez. Insitution: Weber State University. BackgroundElevated blood pressure (BP) is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The effects of high sodium (Na) intake on blood pressure are widely recognized. Of late, potassium (K) intake has gained recognition as a factor in hypertension. Recent studies have shown that the Na/K ratio consumed may be more predictive of hypertension than solely sodium intake. This study examines the association between the Na/K ratio and BP in males and females.MethodsWe utilized a cross-sectional design to evaluate self-reported two-day diet records for 73 male and 183 female students. Sodium and potassium intake were calculated using Diet and Wellness Plus. BP measurements were taken from each participant. Partial correlations were conducted between systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and the following variables: Na, K, and Na/K. SBP means were compared between high sodium consumers and low sodium consumers with the same Na/K ratio using independent samples t-test.ResultsNeither male nor female participants’ SBP or DBP were associated with Na or K intake (p>0.05). However, an increased Na/K ratio was associated with higher DBP in males (r=0.254, p=0.29), but not in females (r=0.04 p=0.79). When the Na/K ratio was paired, participants who consumed over 3000 mg of sodium had a significantly higher SBP (121.1 ± 12.9) than those who consumed less than 3000 mg (115.9 ± 10.7, p=.004).ConclusionsConsumption of Na and K may affect male and female BP differently. In males, the Na/K ratio was predictive of increases in blood pressure. Although Na/K ratio seems to be more predictive of this parameter, within the same Na/K ratio, having lower sodium consumption was associated with lower SBP. This illustrates the complex interaction between BP regulation and nutrition, emphasizing the significance of both lowering sodium intake and maintaining a balanced Na/K ratio for optimal heart health.

Authors: Allie Pace, Conner Bennett. Mentors: Marzieh Ghasemi. Insitution: Utah Tech University. The city of Saint George is reported as one of the fastest-growing cities in the USA with more than 40% change in its population from 2010 to 2022. With increasing population and subsequent consumerism, Saint George has seen a significant increase in waste production. Analyzing the data recorded by Washington County Solid Waste, revealed that municipal waste disposal has increased from about 136000 Tonnes in 2015 to around 227000 Tonnes in 2021. The preliminary data analysis showed that the maximum waste production mostly occurred in the peak season from March to May with approximately 20000 Tonnes of waste produced on average during these months in 2020. The purpose of this research is to study the trends in waste generation in Washington County, City of Saint George over the past 10 years. As a part of this research, the waste composition, the average waste production per household, and the possible factors that may contribute to changing waste production and composition will be investigated.

Authors: George Wells. Mentors: Timothy Francis. Insitution: Utah Tech University. Cast in the form of a first-movement, 17th century Sonata, this is an original composition that explores different chord progressions out of dissonance to resolution. This solo piece for piano is structured similar to works typical of the classical time period. Piano repertoire from the classical era feature repeated patterns, simple melodies, and contrasting moods. Atypical of piano repertoire from the classical era are characteristics such as chromaticism, common-tone and augmented chords, polyrhythms, and hemiolas. From a framework of the sonata form with simple patterns and melodies, I explored the mood and color each method of resolution brings to music composition, classical and contemporary. From this work we can come away with a better understanding of the abstract emotion and character naturally found in musical resolutions that have been codified through music theory.

Authors: Jacob Sampson, Joshua Goates, Brian Patchett, Abolfazl Amin, Bonnie Andersen. Mentors: Bonnie Andersen. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Noise from an interstate can reach extreme levels. The OSHA limit for when sound becomes dangerous for the health of individuals is 85 dB. At UVU there is a pedestrian bridge that goes over I-15 and the students and other pedestrians that use this bridge are exposed to sound levels that could be potentially dangerous for their hearing, along with other adverse health effects due to sound on a regular basis. Sound levels have been measured on the bridge using two different measuring devices. The first being an Extech noise dosimeter, that was worn on the shoulder of the measurer as they walked across the bridge. The second instrument used was a Larson David sound level meter. That was placed on several places along the length of the bridge at set to record for several minutes to get the sound levels at those places. Sound levels that have been recorded have ranged form 79 dB to 102 dB. The OSHA limit for occupational exposure at 100 dB is two hours while for non-occupational exposure it is only 15 minutes. This research seeks to better understand and quantify the noise exposure pedestrians experience on the bridge. Also this research hopes to find out what facts influence the sound levels on the bridge and we hope to compare our experimental results to an ANSYS model of the bridge to confirm our findings.

Authors: Grace Collier, Sadee Ball, Shelby Shepherd, Madi Kotter, Sierra Jeppesen, Tanner Wilson. Mentors: Julie Pynn. Insitution: Southern Utah University. ABSTRACTA large body of research indicates that nature has a positive effect on anxiety levels and overall well-being. This has been tested in many different ways, including through the use of soundscapes. This study aims to analyze how different soundscapes—nature sounds, urban sounds, and white noise—impact anxiety levels. Furthermore, it aims to determine whether or not this relates to one’s perception of origin. Quantitative results indicated that nature sounds and white noise tended to reduce anxiety levels the most, with urban sounds having an insignificant effect. Qualitative results revealed that nature sounds evoked the highest rate of positive emotion, with the white noise soundscape having the second highest rate, and the urban soundscape having the lowest rate. Keywords: soundscapes, nature sounds, urban sounds, white noise, anxiety, perception of origin

Authors: Austen Miller, Josh Leon, Geoffrey Zahn. Mentors: Geoffrey Zahn. Insitution: Utah Valley University. The Pando aspen grove in Central Utah is a remarkable organism comprising a clonal colony of Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) in Fishlake National Forest. While Pando has garnered plenty of attention, the role of the fungal microbiome within this clonal system remains relatively uncharted. This research project delves into the endophytic and epiphytic fungal communities inhabiting the leaves of this giant single organism. The clonal nature of Pando means that plant genotype is consistent across a broad area, allowing us to test hypotheses about how plant-associated fungi disperse and associate with their hosts. In particular, we are testing whether proximity to a forest edge affects foliar fungal community structure. This research will enhance our understanding of how forest patch size and location contribute to plant-fungus community formation. These findings may also have implications with the potential to affect the health and resilience of this aspen clonal colony, which could in turn inform conservation strategies and forest management in the face of environmental challenges and the shifting ranges of aspens and fungal symbionts.

Authors: Derek Baker, Lauren Jensen, Dagney Goodfellow, Seunghwan Shin. Mentors: Guizella Rocabado. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Differences in sexes have long been speculated, yet their application in chemistry learning environments has not been well researched. Literature shows that males have larger cerebral volumes for visual capacities more often associated with hands-on projects and courses than female brains. And female brains have larger cerebral volumes for areas associated with memorization and socialization which more highly correlate with lecture-based learning. Given the high attrition of women in chemistry courses, we investigated this phenomenon in organic chemistry topics that are highly visual (e.g. chirality, Newman projections, chair conformations, bond rotations, etc.) and topics that require more memorization (e.g., functional groups, energy values associated with sterics, nomenclature, definitions, etc.). We conducted an anonymous survey with students who are currently enrolled in organic chemistry or have taken organic chemistry in the past. The questions varied in difficulty as well as levels of visualization or memorization required. The results show correlation with the literature that males score better in the visual-based questions, and females score better in the memorization-based questions. In addition, we conducted interviews with male and female students in organic chemistry, and found that the female students self-generated various techniques to visualize 3D rotations (e.g., use their hands, draw arrows, etc). While most male students didn’t adopt these techniques because they were able to do the 3D rotations in their head. With these results, we plan to design course interventions to bridge the gaps between the extremes of visualization vs. memorization-based concepts for the students.

Authors: Brittney Weiland. Mentors: Alexandra Giannell. Insitution: Utah Valley University. The cyanotype process is a slow time-based method that uses a chemical mixture, water, and UV light to capture instances of spacetime. Cyanotype translations of the body, whether by directly laying a body down on fabric or through the use of translated photographs inherently capture slices of spatiotemporal continuity by nature of its time-based development. Directly placing one's body on chemically treated fabric undergoes only one translation of form: body to image. However, this direct method fails to capture figural resemblance, but rather captures movement through time, leaving traces of 4th dimensional worms. This method draws a closer comparison to temporal continuity but not to recognizable figure. Photographs, long past captured, undergo a process of camera translation, digital translation, printed negative translation, and then finally cyanotype translation but more directly relates to figural recognizability than a direct capture method. However, this photographic process fails to capture more than a few spatiotemporal moments, less in tune with temporal imagery. Through a series of works, Brittney Weiland explores identity through a perdurantist view by capturing moments of body degeneration and drastic physical form changes over the last year as she has battled nearly life-ending illness through the use of cyanotype and photography.

Authors: Rachel Prince, Joseph Monsen. Mentors: Jason Adams. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Humectants are an important class of compounds that attract and retain water within a cell. These substances are commonly used in skincare products to prevent the outer layers of the skin from drying out. Humectants also serve a similar purpose in tissue preservation and prevention of decomposition of cadaveric specimens. As there have been few comparative studies analyzing the effects of different chemicals on the preservation of cadaveric tissue, we designed an assay consisting of wet-dry analysis to compare the effects of four common humectants (2-phenoxy ethanol, glycerol, propylene glycol, and ethylene glycol) on water retention in various cadaveric tissues. These tissues include human skin, skeletal muscle, brain, liver, cardiac muscle, and lung tissue. In each experiment, the tissue was submerged in the humectant and then weighed before and after being placed in an incubator. From these values, we calculated the percent difference in tissue mass to determine the most effective humectant concentration for retaining moisture in the tissue. We first tested a concentration gradient for each humectant to determine the most effective concentrations for each humectant. Then we performed a second set of experiments to compare the ideal concentrations of the humectants under the same conditions in each tissue. In our preliminary experiments, we found that glycerol is the most effective in retaining moisture in several of these cadaveric tissues. As we finish our experimentation we plan to create a tissue library to provide an evidence-based standard for wetting solutions used in anatomy labs.

Authors: Tanner Frahm, Eugene Kwan, Ravi Ranjan. Mentors: Ravi Ranjan. Insitution: University of Utah. Introduction:Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is a non-invasive treatment for ventricular tachycardia (VT) that acts as a promising alternative to the current gold-standard treatment, catheter ablation. Preliminary clinical successes indicate the promise of SBRT while subsequent animal studies suggest that the mechanism of SBRT is novel and unknown. We propose SBRT may alter Connexin-43 (Cx43) gap-junction distribution in cardiac myocyte walls, affecting electrical conduction and reducing VT episodes. A large animal model was used to evaluate Cx43 changes post-SBRT, aiming to elucidate its mechanism of action. Understanding this could expand SBRT's use in arrhythmia management and explore myocyte reprogramming.Methods:A large animal model (n=3) underwent cardiac SBRT on portions of their heart. Each animal provided control, untreated tissue, and treated tissues. Post-treatment, the hearts were excised, perfused, and preserved. Transmural sections were processed for histological and confocal microscopy analyses to assess scarring and Cx43 distribution. An algorithm for semi-automatic myocyte segmentation and Cx43 distribution analysis was developed and used. Two-sample student t-tests were conducted to compare Cx43 distribution between treated and control regions. All image and statistical analysis were performed in MATLAB.Results/Discussion:Preliminary results for the three preliminary animals indicate that treated regions of the myocardium had statistically significant differences in Cx43 distribution (p-values < 0.05). Treated values (mean  standard deviation) were 48%  25%, 62%  26%, and 64%  17% of the distribution of Cx43 on the longitudinal ends while the untreated were 42%  30%, 44%  25% and 26% 16%. The proportion of Cx43 distributed along the longitudinal axis (the short ends of the myocyte) increased in all three animals. The results build on the findings of previous animal studies which suggested that the scarring like ablation was not the mechanism, but that Cx43 or other cellular components could be changing in response to therapy. Conclusions:The findings support the hypothesis that Cx43 distribution changes in response to SBRT indicating that the radiation could be inducing remodeling at the cellular level. Evidence of non-invasive cardiac reprogramming provides basic science credence to the preliminary and ongoing clinical studies evaluating the treatment in patients. The findings further inform and motivate more animal studies and analysis of changes to other cellular components.

Authors: Cari Richards. Mentors: Chizu Matsubara. Insitution: Utah Tech University. Struggling Readers: Action to Improve Comprehension In the intermediate grades, reading comprehension greatly impacts student’s ability to understand what they are reading. When evaluating a student’s reading performance, 90% accuracy is an indicator that the text is an appropriate level for a student. Accuracy is determined by how many words are read incorrectly while the student is reading orally. The methodology of action research will be used to explore the validity of the following hypothesis, “Will the application of reading strategies improve reading comprehension?”A sixth-grade multilingual learner (ML) who attends an intermediate school will be the focus of this study. This student’s reading level is currently evaluated at the third-grade level. Although the student can read simple chapter books, they need continual practice reading with more complex text. To support the student to meet 90% accuracy for reading comprehension, five specific reading strategies will be implemented. After the student has been assessed to determine appropriate reading level text, 1) The student and the teacher will meet four times a week for 15 to 20 minutes for a total of six weeks, 2) teacher will preview words in the text with student, 3) student will read aloud to the teacher, 4) student will orally summarize what is being read. Lastly, to measure if the student’s reading comprehension has improved, they will write a summary of the content in 2-3 sentences. With continual support using these strategies, the student will be able to transition to a more complex text.

Authors: Isaac Settle, Easton Gray, Bonnie Anderson. Mentors: Bonnie Anderson. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Study of mode transitions with an artificially-blown clarinet Isaac Settle, Easton Gray, and Bonnie AndersenAbstractWhile playing the clarinet one might experience what is called a squeak or grunt note. A squeak note is a note that is in a higher register without any change of the keys being pressed. Similarly, a grunt note is a lower shifted note with the same circumstances. Both tend to be undesirable while playing, but often happen when learning how to play the clarinet. A similar occurrence of tonal differences can be controlled intentionally when advanced students enacting the technique called voicing to play the instrument in different registers. This research studied the physical parameters that cause squeak and grunt notes. An airtight box was built to hold the mouthpiece of the clarinet and attached to an air compressor. The effects on mode transitions between registers based on air pressure and where contact is applied on specific parts of the reed of the clarinet were studied. Additionally, a laser vibrometer was used to compare reed vibrations to that of the pitch of the clarinet. This data can help clarinet students as they learn the technique of voicing.