2024 Abstracts

Authors: Jared K Bradshaw. Mentors: Brandon Ro. Insitution: Utah Valley University. This research seeks to analyze if there exists an understanding of structural design principles among untrained humans. Building forms and styles have evolved since the earliest structures. For thousands of years buildings were limited by naturally occurring materials. Designs of those periods reflected the structural principles of those materials. In the last few hundred years technological advances have provided structural methods which radically altered how buildings can be designed. An example is the difference in column spacing between historic and modern buildings, where the former has much tighter spacing due to natural material’s spanning limitations. To analyze the understanding of untrained humans an eye-tracking study was conducted using A.I.-3M-VAS eye-tracking software. This technology utilizes artificial intelligence to graphically display eye gaze sequences, patterns, and durations of focus. The software reflects the first few seconds of eye-tracking, providing insights into subconscious reactions before a logical response is formed. Images of structural elements were designed digitally to reflect a variety of forms, maintain cohesiveness, and remove visual variables. Each image was individually processed through the software providing isolated results. The results of the study show consistent patterns of focus on locations of structural significance, such as bearing points, connections, and material loads. The consistency by which these concepts received focus concludes that there is an innate human ability to locate structural methods of building. Of note the structural forms which adhered to the limits of natural materials registered different eye tracking patterns than the modern manipulated material forms. The historic methods displayed even tracking throughout the structure, whereas the modern methods created hot spots at the points of greatest structural significance. The differences further emphasizes that untrained people are not limited to just understanding familiar structural forms. This will allow for further research on the physiological effects between form types.

Authors: Samuel Charles. Mentors: Marc Killpack. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Robots have an incredible potential to help humans in extreme or dangerous situations due to their significant and consistent durability, strength, endurance, replaceability, etc. However, humans and robots move very differently, leading to difficulties working intuitively with a robot partner when completing a task such as lifting a heavy object. We recently conducted studies in which human subjects moved a 60-lb table to several different positions in a room; we recorded force and torque data, along with many other aspects of the movement. In these studies of human-human co-manipulation, we noticed a trend during particularly difficult maneuvers; when lifting the table to high positions or acute angles, subjects switched their hand holds on the table’s handles. This was likely an easier method of holding the table, but it may have also communicated placement, stability, understanding, and strength to the other partner, leading to a smoother and more intuitive movement and experience overall. If this is the case, this data could be used to help a co-manipulation robot both effectively understand the subtle commands in human movement and intuitively communicate needed movement to the human partner. This is particularly useful in emergencies like natural disaster sites and war zones, in which immediate help is needed, but there is no time to troubleshoot an unclear or unintuitive robot.

Authors: Jennifer Mortensen, Melissa Lee, Jessica C Hill. Mentors: Jessica C Hill. Insitution: Utah Valley University. The prevailing assumption in academia has been that outstanding researchers would naturally be outstanding teachers. However, this notion began to face scrutiny in the late 1950s and early 1960s (Cruz et al., 2023). The societal upheavals of the 1960s had a profound impact on American colleges and universities, leading to students demanding and obtaining a more significant role in campus life. One notable change was the introduction of student evaluations of teaching, which were virtually non-existent before the 1960s but became standard practice by the late 1970s. In response to these shifts and faculty requests for support to enhance teaching, Centers for Teaching Excellence (CTEs) were born, with the inaugural centers established at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University (Bakutes, 1998; Miller, 2002). This marked the beginning of a nationwide initiative to strengthen teaching in higher education, culminating in the formation of over 1,000 such centers by the mid-1970s and general coverage across the United States by 2020 (Wright, 2023). In today's academic landscape, CTEs play an instrumental, mission-driven role in enhancing learning and teaching. The primary mission of most CTEs is to improve student learning, support faculty, encourage innovation, and support scholarly and creative work (Wright, 2023). While there is a wealth of literature on CTE organization, function, and impact, there is a noticeable gap in knowledge regarding the most frequently utilized programming and services offered by CTEs. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the educational landscape has undergone significant changes, necessitating a shift in the learning and teaching needs of students and faculty. This research seeks to address this evolving dynamic within Utah by examining the prevalent programming and services provided by CTEs across the state. The findings from this research will provide valuable insights into these changing needs and will inform future programming and strategic directions for CTEs in Utah. Bakutes, A. P. (1998). An examination of faculty development centers. Contemporary Education, 69(3), 168-171.Cruz, L., Parker, M. A., Smentkowski, B., & Smitherman, M. (2023). Taking flight: Making your center for teaching and learning soar (2nd ed.). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. Murray, J. P. (2002). The current state of faculty development in two-year colleges. New Directions for Community Colleges, 118, 89–98.Wright, M. C. (2023). Centers for teaching and learning: The new landscape in higher education. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Authors: Carolina Wright. Mentors: Spencer Magleby. Insitution: Brigham Young University. In recent years there has been an increasing demand for satellites that take up less space, but can still provide a large surface area. One existing solution to fit more material into less volume is deployable systems: systems that can be stowed in small spaces and then expand to occupy a large surface area. Fitting the components of a deployable system into that small space however is where difficulties arise. Thick materials do not stow into small volumes, so thinner, lightweight materials are more desirable. These types of materials can be called “gossamer” materials, and have been used in many space applications of deployable systems. Gossamer structures solve many problems related to stowing satellites in small spaces, but another complication arises for certain applications: current approaches in gossamer technology involve much creasing and wrinkling of the membrane, and do not generate the flatness required for larger, more complex systems. This is detrimental to reflectarray applications, which require a very flat surface. This research seeks to provide a solution to stowing a membrane without creasing it, thus allowing for greater flatness once deployed. This will be done by splitting the membrane into panels, folding them over each other, and rolling it up. Rolling the membrane reduces wrinkles, but adjacent panels must be able to slide past each other. Regular folding does not allow for this movement, so this requires the development of specialized surrogate folds. Surrogate folds are hinges that are used to replace the creases in a folding pattern, so the membrane itself remains unbent. As we design these folds we will look specifically for characteristics which allow for those adjacent panels to slide side by side, as well as still fold 180 degrees. This will allow the panels to fold over each other, roll up tightly, and then be deployed while leaving the membrane free of creases or wrinkles. The results of this research will be key to developing larger deployable systems in the future. Greater precision and flatness as a result of surrogate folds will open a door for further advancements in the technology that can be used on smaller, thinner reflectarray satellites.

Authors: Haylee Beck, Lauren Weidner, Carl E Hjelmen. Mentors: Carl E Hjelmen. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Blow flies, scientifically known as family Calliphoridae, are important primary colonizers of remains that play a crucial role in decomposition, making them useful in forensic investigations for estimating a time of colonization (TOC). Unfortunately, there is little information on the species and distributions of blow flies present in Utah. Our research seeks to address this issue through collection, preservation, and identification of these blow flies. To collect the specimens, traps baited with chicken liver were set up in various locations across Salt Lake and Utah Counties. While we have only collected from these two counties thus far, our intention is to gather flies across the state, spanning both rural and urban environments. We will then use standard metrics of diversity to compare the species makeup in each location. The results of our research offer significant insights into the biodiversity, distribution, and ecological functions of these flies and their development in different ecosystems. In addition, this research has far-reaching implications in the field of forensics. These findings will contribute significantly to our understanding of blow fly distribution and behavior, providing valuable information for forensic investigations in our region.

Authors: Ashley Staten. Mentors: Jennifer Meyer. Insitution: Utah Tech University. Pterostilbene, a natural product found in blueberries and nuts, has been shown to be multifunctional. In low doses, it has been shown to be a potent antioxidant, while in higher doses, it has been shown to reduce cell proliferation, induce autophagy, and increase apoptosis. Recent literature has indicated that derivatives of pterostilbene can improve the functionality of pterostilbene in both cancer cell viability (reduction) and antioxidant capacity (increase). Previously, our group has synthesized and characterized the antioxidant capacity of a select group of pterostilbene derivatives, which have been functionalized to contain an additional alcohol and amine group. Most recently, we have synthesized a derivative containing benzylamine as the amine. This amine was chosen as benzylamine and drugs functionalized with benzylamine groups have been shown to have antiapoptotic properties. Currently, we aim to further characterize this novel pterostilbene derivative as we believe it has the potential to be utilized as a therapeutic in various disease states such as cancer and type 2 diabetes.

Authors: Matthew Stecher, Terungwa Iorkula, Matt A. Peterson. Mentors: Matt A. Peterson. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Tropomyosin Receptor Kinase (TRK) inhibition has become an effective therapeutic approach for treatment of a variety of cancers including soft tissue sarcoma, pilocytic astrocytoma, non-small cell lung cancers, colorectal cancers, glioblastomas, pediatric gliomas, papillary thyroid cancers, and secretory breast carcinoma. Despite the successful use of first-generation TRK inhibitors Larotrectinib and Entrectinib which have shown significant therapeutic response in patients, acquired resistance to these drugs has emerged and is creating serious barriers to maintaining long-term therapeutic efficacy. A common mechanism for acquired resistance is associated with the emergence of mutations. Hence, mutation-induced drug resistance continues to be a major challenge for both first- and second-generation TRK inhibitors. Here, we present the design of novel macrocyclic 3,5-diaminated pyrazolo[1,5-a] pyrimidine ligands with high potential for combating drug-resistant disease.

Authors: William Lee, Rishab Nayak, Cecilia Knapp, Camila Soderholm. Mentors: Ryan Stolley. Insitution: University of Utah. Recent publications have shown pyridine carboxylate functionalized aza-crown ethers coordinate strongly to a number of rare earth elements. Considering their strong coordination, we have modified these crown-ethers with a number of hydrophobic moieties to allow for adsorption to non-polar substrates to enable packed bed isolation of these elements to address the broad use and limited availability of these elements.

Authors: Michal Hansen, Nathan Werner. Mentors: Nathan Werner. Insitution: Southern Utah University. The preparation of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals requires chemical reactions that make carbon-carbon bonds. Carbon atoms of three different hybridazations are known: sp3, sp2 and sp. Most reactions are specific to the hybridization of the carbon atom. We will study a reaction to bond an sp2-hybridized carbon to an sp3-hybridized carbon. This reaction could then be used to make interesting molecules that contain similar bonds. Specifically, the synthesis of 1,3-diphenylpropene will begin with a hydroboration reaction of phenylacetylene with pinacolborane. These two starting materials are combined with a 9-BBN-catalyst and heated to reflux in tetrahydrofuran at 65 degrees Celsius for 1 hour. The hydroboration product is then purified by aqueous extraction and silica gel flash chromatography. The product from the hydroboration reaction contains an sp2-hydridized carbon-boron bond and is then combined with benzyl bromide that contains a sp3-carbon-bromine bond. This is the reaction that we are studying. They are heated in DMF solvent with a palladium catalyst, ligand and base at 90 degrees Celsius for 1.5 hours. Once the reaction is complete, the cross-coupling product is purified by aqueous extraction and silica gel flash chromatography.

Authors: Braden Nelson. Mentors: Nathan S Werner. Insitution: Southern Utah University. The stereocontrolled palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction of (E)-2-phenylethenylboronic acid pinacol ester with aryl chlorides to produce (E)-stilbene derivatives was studied. (E)-2-Phenylethenylboronic acid pinacol ester was synthesized by 9-borobicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (9-BBN) catalyzed hydroboration reaction of phenylacetylene with pinacolborane. The reaction conditions of the palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of this reagent with aryl chlorides were then evaluated to maximize the yield of the cross-coupled product. The maximum yield of (E)-stilbene, 74%, was obtained when the amount of (E)-2-phenylethenylboronic acid pinacol ester was increased from 1.2 to 1.5 equivalents, RuPhos was used as the ligand, K2CO3 was used as the base, and DMF was used as the reaction solvent at 90 °C. Four other aryl chlorides bearing electron-withdrawing and electron-donating substituents in the ortho- and para-positions were found to undergo facile coupling in 91-100% isolated yield.

Authors: Brandon Clark, Hayden Allen, Zixuan Wang, Rajagopalan Thiruvengadathan. Mentors: Rajagopalan Thiruvengadathan. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Percolation behavior of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in polymer matrix is studied quantitatively and qualitatively through computational simulation. A resistor network recognition technique based on ant colony optimization (ACO) was employed to estimate the electrical conductivity of SWCNT/polymer composites. The contributions of quantum tunnelling and direct contact resistance of SWCNTs were considered in the algorithm developed and reported in this work. Effects of dispersion efficiency vis-à-vis presence of aggregates, intrinsic conductivity (metallic vs. semiconducting), acid functionalization of SWCNTs on the electrical conductivity and formation of conducting networks in polymer matrix were investigated.

Authors: Alisa Dabb, David Britt, Elizabeth Vargis. Mentors: David Britt. Insitution: Utah State University. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the leading infectious cause of birth defects in the United States. CMV is typically treated with ganciclovir, an antiviral medicine that inhibits the virus. However, ganciclovir also inhibits the growth of neutrophils, a type of immune cell, which leaves the patient vulnerable to other viruses and diseases. To combat the toxic effects of ganciclovir, a subtherapeutic dose of ganciclovir can be used with the combinatorial treatment of quercetin and poloxamer 188 (P188) while maintaining the same level of antiviral activity. Quercetin is a hydrophobic natural flavonoid with antiviral properties that is found in many fruits and vegetables. P188 acts as the delivery vehicle for quercetin and is an FDA-approved polymer that targets the mitochondria in a cell. This study examines two delivery vehicles—P188 and Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) to optimize the combinatorial treatment of quercetin and ganciclovir.DMSO is a solvent for both polar and nonpolar compounds. DMSO is beneficial for cell growth at low concentrations. Additionally, DMSO successfully delivers hydrophobic quercetin to infected cells, although it does not target quercetin delivery like P188. Targeting the mitochondria, like P188, could be valuable because one mechanism of CMV infection occurs when the virus attacks the mitochondria in an infected cell. This study aims to understand if mitochondrial targeted delivery of quercetin better protects cells against CMV infection compared to non-targeted quercetin delivery.

Authors: Mackay B Steffensen, AustinRyan A Kirkby, Kieran L Richards. Mentors: Mackay B Steffensen. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Cyanuric chloride, a 1,3,5-trichlorotriazine, serves as a valuable platform for constructing innovative molecules. This project explores the unique reactivity of triazines to synthesize triazine crown ethers—a class of cyclic polyethers with a central cavity capable of selectively binding metal ions and polar molecules. Temperature-controlled nucleophilic aromatic substitution is employed to selectively substitute the triazine ring, providing precise control over the reaction. The first substitution with a primary amine nucleophile occurs rapidly at 0 °C, while subsequent substitutions at room temperature or 70 °C necessitate longer reaction times. This controlled approach enables the incorporation of three different amines.The project aims to synthesize triazine crown ethers through temperature-dependent substitution using two different methods. The first approach employs a diamine with an ether linkage in the presence of a base, facilitating consecutive substitutions to produce the target molecule. Intramolecular reactions are favored, but intermolecular reactions may lead to unexpected yet valuable products. The second method utilizes templated synthesis, taking advantage of the affinity of crown ethers for metal cations to promote cyclization reactions. A traditional route involving post-synthetic cyclization with ethylene glycol is also considered.The successful synthesis of these molecules opens up opportunities for further research, including characterizing their affinity for metals and exploring other unique properties. The acquired knowledge can be applied to construct more complex molecular structures, making this work valuable in materials science, analytical chemistry, and pharmaceuticals.

Authors: Alexandra Osmond, Samantha Stabler, Sara Knowlton, Sam Chipman, Brock Kirwan. Mentors: Brock Kirwan. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Memory discrimination refers to the ability to distinguish between different memories or experiences based on their unique characteristics or details. The Mnemonic Similarity Task (MST) is a variant of a recognition memory task that assesses memory discrimination by asking participants to encode a series of objects in long-term memory and later discriminate between targets (repeated items), lures (similar but not exactly the same as previously seen items), and foils (novel items). The similarity of targets and lures is systematically varied resulting in five similarity levels (L1-L5). The goal of our research was to determine if individuals retain memory discrimination abilities after different periods of time exceeding 12 hours. Study recruitment was done on Brigham Young University campus for 18-25 year olds with no known neurological conditions (ADHD, major depression etc.). Thirty participants were tested in each group and they were asked to complete an immediate test. They were then asked to return to the lab for a second test after a 1-day, 3-day, or 1-week delay.Our results showed that the 1-week delay of the MST eradicated an individual's ability to discriminate between the lures of varying similarity. At a 1-day delay, individuals did lose some memory discrimination ability, but were still able to recognize the more distinct lures.

Authors: Audrey French, Carl E Hjelmen. Mentors: Carl E Hjelmen. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Chromosome numbers are often one of the first pieces of genetic information we collect about the genome of an organism. These chromosome numbers vary widely across the tree of life and will change due to fission and fusion events, where the number increases or decreases, respectively (Blackmon and Demuth 2015, Perkins et al. 2019, Sylvester et al. 2020, Morelli et al. 2022). As the Drosophila species group has been a model for more than 100 years, there is a plethora of information on their karyotypes, including number, chromosome shapes, and sex chromosome systems. The shapes of chromosomes vary and can be described as metacentric (v), submetacentric (j), telocentric (rod), and small and heterochromatic (dot). In the Drosophila genus, sex chromosome systems can be neo-sex, XY, and X0. The numerous species of Drosophila can be compiled into the major subgenera of Drosophila and Sophophora, which have diverged for around 40-65 million years. The karyotype data of the Drosophila genus has been compiled into an open-source database. I am using this database to find the rates of chromosome number change in the Drosophila genus. This analysis is done through the chromePlus package in R (Blackmon et al., 2019) which will perform a comparative phylogenetic analysis, and a phylogeny of 152 species in the Drosophila genus (Hjelmen et al., 2019). Using these available tools, I can compare rates of fusion and fission between sex chromosome systems and subgenera. This could expand the knowledge on evolution of chromosomes and genomes.

Authors: Juan Palencia, Tanner Probst, Clair Yeaman. Mentors: Machiel Van Frankenhuijsen. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Abstract: The ABC conjecture is an unsolved problem in mathematics first formulated by Joseph Oesterlé and David Masser. The conjecture attempts to show an analogy between polynomials and integers. This insight arises from the Stothers-Mason Theorem (also known as Mason’s Theorem). The theorem states that the maximum degree of a polynomial is always equal to or less than the number of distinct roots minus one. The ABC conjecture attempts to bridge this analogy by defining the height as the maximum algebraic number in the sum a + b = c where a, b and c are relatively prime. Masser and Oesterle define the radical as the sum of log p where p divides abc. Mason’s theorem states that the height is less than the radical minus one. It turns out that this is not true for the integers. Thus Masser and Oesterle formulated a conjecture which may be true. Over the past decades, this inequality has been strengthened and reformulated. Shinichi Mochizuki has recently published what he claims to be a proof of the conjecture, but many mathematicians are currently still working to understand it. The aim of our research is to better understand the height and radical in the ABC conjecture. In addition, we intend to explore the possibilities of expanding the Stothers-Mason Theorem. Since the ABC conjecture is concerned with an analogy between commutative rings (integers and polynomials), we are interested in seeing whether Mason’s Theorem for polynomials also holds for non-commutative rings, such as matrix rings and the ring of quaternions. In addition, we intend to explore the connection between the factorization of polynomials and finite Abelian groups.

Authors: Samantha Denbow, Katie Finlinson, Carley Grube, Joseph Johnson, Tanner Dougherty. Mentors: Kirsten L Graham. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Religious affiliation is rapidly declining (Engelman, 2019). Given that religions often perpetuate an in-group out-group dynamic, bidirectional prejudices can be seen between both people who are a part of and people who are not a part of religion (Jackson & Hunsberger, 1999). One explanation for this phenomena of leaving religion and increased prejudice is that there is a shift in attitudes towards religion. Attitudes affect behavior and may explain why people are leaving religion and becoming more prejudiced towards religious and non-religious groups. Our scale Attitudes Towards Religion (ATR) aims to measure attitudes towards religion to better understand why these cultural shifts are happening. We have defined attitudes as “a mostly enduring organization of thoughts, feelings, and behavioral tendencies directed towards objects, groups, events, or symbols” (Breckler, 1984; Hogg & Vaughan, 2005). Little research has been done to determine attitudes as a three part model (affect, cognition, and behavior) when examining religion. The current measures used to examine attitudes towards religion are less defined and fail to address the tripartite model of attitudes by relying more on affective and cognitive components of attitudes (Breckler, 1984). One such scale is called the Astley–Francis Scale of Attitude Towards Theistic Faith, which measures attitudes through affective items on a Likert scale. As demonstrated through this scale and others, many measures are also limited to attitudes of theistic, western religions, rather than encompassing nontheistic religions (Astley et al., 2012; Szydłowski et al., 2021). Attitudes are important to research because they impact daily choices in every individual’s life. Our study sample will be recruited through the Amazon Mechanical Turk survey platform and researchers’ social media pages. We predict our scale will measure attitudes towards religion to further inform current literature concerning religion and religious exit. We will examine reliability in our scale by testing Cronbach's alpha to ensure internal consistency. A small pilot group of 5 undergraduate peers reviewed the items for clarity, readability, and face validity. We then made changes to the items based on the feedback. Because our measure was developed according to a well-established tripart theory of attitude, a confirmatory factor analysis will be used to assess initial factor structure and how well our model fits the data. In addition, we will examine convergent validity by comparing the Astley–Francis Scale of Attitude Towards Theistic Faith with our scale. Discriminant validity will be examined by comparing other non-related scales that measure different constructs with our scale. With this information, further research can be done to understand the correlation between attitudes towards religion and religious participation/exit. The authors for this project are Samantha Denbow, Katie Finlinson, Joseph Johnson, Tanner Dougherty, and Carley Grube. This information will be presented in a poster format.

Authors: Sofia Denise Flowers. Mentors: Lauri Linder. Insitution: University of Utah. Background and Purpose: In the year 2023, roughly 9,000 children will be diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States. Dealing with a potentially fatal diagnosis is already difficult for many grown adults, let alone a young child. The aim of this project is to describe caregiving experiences of parents and children with cancer as related through feedback comments within written and oral feedback to proposed items to measure self-efficacy for managing their child’s symptoms and behaviors used to manage their child’s symptoms.Methods: This project involved a secondary analysis of qualitative data from 21 parents (19 mothers; mean age 38 years) of school-age children with cancer who participated in a study to establish the content validity of instruments to measure aspects of symptom management. Data consisted of interview transcripts and free responses to the content review surveys. The data were then uploaded to Dedoose. My mentor and I worked independently to identify statements pertaining to parents’ experiences in managing their child’s symptoms and responding to the child’s cancer diagnosis. We then met together to reconcile content and then organize parents’ statements into categories and subcategories. Results: 101 excerpts were extracted from the transcripts and included for the secondary analysis. Excerpts were grouped into four main categories: informational resources, social support, emotional support, and medication management Within these four main categories, subthemes of professional staff support, managing child attitude and mood changes, and balancing between being a parent and their child’s medical advocate were present. Conclusion: The insights gained from this project can guide the information healthcare providers need to provide better care to the child and additional support to parents. This can allow professional staff to get a stronger understanding of not just the family’s medical needs but their informational, social, and emotional needs as well.