2013 Abstracts

Dakota Hawkins, Westminster College Arts and Sciences Abstract. Previous studies have documented effects of urbanization on the behavior, reproduction and survival of wildlife. Specifically, noise pollution in urban areas has been known to mask communication among several avian species. In a previous study in Mexico City, House Finches increased the frequency (pitch) of their songs to help mitigate the effects of low frequency urban noise. To document the average minimum frequency of House Finch song in Utah, we recorded House Finches singing from May 2012 to August 2012. Three sample sites with 1 km radii were established in Salt Lake City, Utah while a fourth site was sampled in Logan, Utah. Ambient sound was recorded at locations where songs were recorded to measure urban noise. Average minimum song frequencies and ambient noise were calculated for three sites. Frequency measurements were not significantly different among the three urban populations. Future studies will compare the minimum frequency of these urban populations to nonurban populations and investigate syllable structure and use.

Jeff Collins, Westminster College Biology The Great Salt Lake (GSL) has some of the highest mercury concentrations ever measured in surface waters. The accumulation of high levels of mercury, particularly its more toxic and readily biomagnified form, methylmercury, has been recorded in many species that inhabit or feed directly in the GSL, including waterfowl. However, no studies at the GSL, and very few studies elsewhere, have investigated the transfer of mercury from aquatic ecosystems to terrestrial ecosystems. We hypothesized that brine flies are able to accumulate mercury during their larval stages in the lake, then transfer this mercury to adjacent terrestrial ecosystems when they become flying adults. Concentrations of total mercury (HgT) and methylmercury (MeHg) were measured in samples of surface water and brine flies (larvae, pupae, and adults) collected once each month between February and July at Antelope Island, in the GSL. Samples were collected from two distinct sites: one along Gilbert Bay on the west side of the Island, and the other along Farmington Bay on the east. On average, HgT concentrations are greater in water samples from Farmington Bay (19.3 ± 9.0 ng/L unfiltered; 13.5 ± 10.1 ng/L filtered) compared to Gilbert Bay (8.5 ± 7.5 ng/L unfiltered; 9.2 ± 9.6 ng/L filtered). MeHg and HgT levels in brine flies displayed the opposite trend, with higher levels at Gilbert Bay (567 ± 123 ppb HgT; 425 ± 12 ppb MeHg) than at Farmington Bay (270 ± 60 ppb HgT; 208 ± 35 ppb MeHg). Potential explanations for the trends observed will be discussed.

Paul Greenhalgh, Weber State University History Much has been written about the tactics and strategies of World War II, as well as the effects of the war on the world. Far less, however, has been written about the cultural aspect of the war experience, and in particular about the day-to-day culture of the servicemen during the war. Archival research at the Library of Congress and The Institute on WWII and the Human Experience at Florida State University yielded the bulk of the primary sources while a review of the literature on WWII and the culture of U.S. servicemen during the war provided context. Additionally, a cross-disciplinary review of psychological literature on pets and their importance to well-being, as well as why it is important for people to create a sense of home, has nuanced the research. This study looks at the personal effects that servicemen had during the war and how their possessions contributed to the creation of a sense of home while they were deployed. Servicemen carried a vast variety of possessions with them that were not Government Issue. These possessions included diaries, pictures of, and letters from, loved ones, Bibles, pets, musical instruments, and talismans. Moreover, in letters and in diaries, these servicemen have described why they personally have carried these objects with them. This study adds to the body of knowledge on the cultural aspect of WWII servicemen, and therefore adds to the overall understanding of WWII and the culture of war in general.

S. Geneva Balin, Weber State University Anthropology In the past, mythology served as a guide to how life should be lived and provided a context for the condition in which people found themselves. As the sacred gave way to the secular, mythology lost its power to influence and guide the people as it did in the past. Rather than myths, people turned to literature for guidance. These stories have been told and retold through different eras in history. They have also been shared in contemporary forms such as books and movies which now reach a large audience. This paper will examine stories of social outcasts in an interpretive exploration into culture through the lens of literature. The multiple versions “The Phantom of the Opera” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” reflect the cultures in which they were produced as well as the contemporary cultures that love them. A basis for comparison will be established by first recounting, in summary, the plotline for each of the novels. Then theories relevant to exploring meaning will be approached, notably those of Claude Levi-Strauss, Émile Durkheim, Dame Mary Douglas and Carl Jung. From here, variations of the stories and the history surrounding them can be examined to discover potential social meaning and show the importance of stories as a way to bind a culture together.

Duke Cruz, Westminster College Philosophy This research focuses on the nineteenth-century philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, his philosophy, and how that relates specifically to what he thinks about music. In general this presentation will consist of three main parts: 1) analyzing passages on music in a few of Nietzsche’s works, specifically, “The Birth of Tragedy”, “Beyond Good and Evil”, and “Twilight of the Idols’” with supplementary material relating to his philosophy taken from “The Anti-Christ”, and Walter Kaufmann’s biography of Nietzsche “Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist”; 2) showing the relation of music and reason in each example; 3) postulating the importance of this relation. Throughout my research on Nietzsche and his thoughts surrounding music, it is apparent that whenever he discusses music, it is never about the specific score, keys, melodic content, etc. Instead, I found that in most of the passages that I have ran across, Nietzsche’s thoughts on music collide directly and importantly to his philosophy. In this presentation I aim to elucidate what the importance of this relation between music and reason could be for Nietzsche.

Charles Ankenman, Brigham Young University Spanish and Portuguese The Middle Ages and the cultural, political and social coming of age of the European continent produced a corpus of literature and a literary tradition representative of its religious and cultural values that, amazingly, still continues to influence society today. Commonly employed terms such as “a knight in shining armor”, “prince charming”, and parallels occasionally drawn between children and both literary as well historical princes and princesses of yore are evidence of the longevity of the influence of Medieval culture, it’s ideals and the literary genre that most perfectly reflected it: the novel of chivalry. Today, few academics study the genre, it is seldom analyzed in universities, and almost never read outside of academia. In fine, their legacy and their memory has largely been preserved in the endearing pages of Cervantes’ masterpiece, Don Quixote. In this work, the protagonist, don Quixote, goes mad as he credulously devours his extensive private collection of chivalric literature believing all he reads to be not only true but also worthy of imitation. Nevertheless, despite Don Quixote’s wide reading public, few have ever read a novel of chivalry and, as a result, the exact definition of the novel of chivalry can be both obscure and even beyond the grasp of the modern reader who is uninitiated in the field of Medieval and Renaissance chivalric literature. Nevertheless, through a careful analysis of don Quixote’s private collection of novels of chivalry, the mega-genre that they constitute and the sub-genres that comprise it; the chivalric genre can be clearly defined. Additionally, through the comparative analysis of the English term novel of chivalry as opposed to the Spanish term libros de caballerias (book of great deeds done on horseback) the importance of language’s influence on the perception of the world will be demonstrated and Jacques Lacan’s theory regarding language and perception substantiated. Finally, this analysis will elucidate the novel of chivalry’s status both as a continuation of the great classical epic tradition as well as another link in the universal tradition of epic poetry and storytelling. This presentation will be of interest both to Medievalist as well as specialists in the Renaissance, Don Quixote, Spain and Portugal. Power Point Presentation. 20 – 30 minutes.

Kendra Williamson, Brigham Young University Linguistics and English Language Questions regarding language policy have persisted in Intensive English Programs nationwide. BYU’s English Language Center has revoked an English-only policy in favor of an English-mainly policy. In this environment, a two-month study has been initiated in which four experimental-group classes are provided tools for self-regulated learning to encourage English use during the lunch break. Students record goals and perceived actuals daily, reflect and respond to their individual progress, and receive weekly printed progress charts. As students use tools designed for self-regulated learning, it is expected that their daily efforts to speak English and their speaking proficiency test scores will improve.

Kev Nemelka, Brigham Young University Art History and Curatorial Studies Hungarian art has yet to break across the Atlantic with much influence on the art world, but perhaps the oeuvre of Béla Kondor (1931-1972), considered by many Hungarian art historians to be the starting point of Hungarian contemporary art, may have a shot at drawing the nation’s art out of obscurity and into the light of American contemporary “faux-naïve,” an art tradition with a growing momentum that could provide fertile terrain for Kondor’s comparable aesthetic. The faux-naïve tradition springs from “naïve art,” an art tradition whose name itself has been somewhat controversial in the past decade but has nevertheless influenced artists all over the globe. Particularly in Utah Valley, a number of artists and art professors—e.g. Andrew Ballstaedt, Fidalis Buehler, and Brian Krishisnik—are developing their own faux-naïve versions of contemporary folk art similar to that of Kondor with no knowledge of his existence, and although some contend that the sincerity of faux-naïve is factitious and premeditated, the secular and religious works of Kondor and these American artists show the positive side of contrivance, that faux-naïve can provoke feelings of nostalgia and insight into real emotions, focusing our attention on adolescent memories or spiritual innocence alluded to in the works rather than on the lack of complexity, precision, or realism often sought after by aficionados of conventional, believable art. I personally interviewed numerous Kondor experts and curators of Hungarian museums, recovered archived articles on the artist held in Hungarian collections, and conducted comparative analyses of Kondor and the aforementioned Utah artists, whom I also interviewed regarding the subject of faux-naïveté.

Jesse Cook, Dixie State University English Charles Chesnutt’s use of frame narrative in “Dave’s Neckliss” allows readers to gain a wider exposure to realistic African American storytelling. While African American literature was often intentionally watered down in the years following the Civil War to avoid hostility from Euro-Americans, Chesnutt published works depicting some of the true inequalities of African American life. His use of frame narrative-a local color narrative technique that employs a Euro-American narrator to frame a story told by an African American character-allowed Chesnutt to publish his work unbound by such restrictions. As William L. Andrews states, Chesnutt’s “understanding of literary tradition and his ability to use tradition as a means of approaching his readers with untraditional themes” allowed him to delve further into the “intensely human inner life of slavery.” While it could be argued that Chesnutt’s technique undermines the authority of the African American storyteller, requiring a Euro-American narrator as a catalyst for the African American character to tell his story, this technique allows Chesnutt to present a subversive narrative that imposes challenging questions to a reluctant audience. I argue that while Chesnutt’s use of frame narrative may appear to perpetuate existing racial stereotypes held by many, the frame narrative style actually allowed him to pose thought-provoking questions during a time of racial animosity.

Matthew A. Kearney, Brigham Young University Germanic and Slavic Amid the chaos and anticipative excitement of fin-de-siecle Europe, German society quickly became a historical hotspot of unique political and social transformations. It was felt to be a period of degeneration, but at the same time a period of hope for a new beginning. In the midst of a culture that was still perpetuating lively, discriminating social appetites, it is intriguing to note that a broad examination of texts written by German women at this time, which experiment with the very question of social walls and new decisions, shows that these women most often employed conclusions laden with themes of madness, chaos, loneliness and suicide. For this research I have chosen three significant texts which can be viewed from historical and anthropological standpoints on the subject of traditional walls and choices. These are Jenseits der Mauer by Elisabeth Heinroth, Meine Freundin by Hermione von Preuschen-Telmann, and Helene Monbart-Kessler’s Kameraden. The approach to these works, and for the purpose of my research, evaluates the female literary characters in these texts in light of Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophical view on the fragile balance between the Apollonian and Dionysian drives inherent in art and in life itself. Nietzsche asserted that in life there rages a constant battle between these two major forces, each striving to control the existence of men and women alike. Against the background of this aesthetic discourse, the three texts I have chosen acquire a new dimension: they become an avenue for examining the causes of balance, or lack thereof, in the lives of these female characters. I believe this evaluation is significant because it foregrounds some of the choices and limitations which many women faced as traditional society was changing its attitudes towards them during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Belinda Ramirez, Brigham Young University Anthropology The Hmong are a stateless hill tribe ethnic group originating in southern China. Due to persecution and discrimination from the Chinese, many Hmong migrated to the surrounding regions of the Southeast Asian massif in the eighteenth century. The mountainous homes of the Hmong now lay within the borders of countries such as Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. Religiously, Hmong are traditionally a shamanistic people, believing in spirits and worshipping their ancestors through diverse practices, such as animal sacrifice and spirit calling. In addition to traditional Hmong belief (dab qhuas), many messianic religious groups have recently surfaced within the Hmong diaspora, often accompanied by a prophetic leader, criticisms of traditional Hmong practices, and a hopeful vision of the future in which there exists a Hmong country. My research on this subject is based on an ethnographic field study in Nan Province, Thailand among the Is Npis Mis Nus, a Hmong messianic religious group. Using traditional anthropological field methods, I acquired data on the practices and beliefs of the Is Npis Mis Nus, as well as investigated their conceptions of nationalism, ethnicity, and identity. In this paper, I posit that the rituals and beliefs of the Is Npis Mis Nus reveal the group’s desire for Hmong political, cultural, and economic legitimacy and national sovereignty. These beliefs and rituals also serve as boundaries that provide a clear distinction between messianic and non-messianic Hmong. Additionally, I explain how the characteristics of the Is Npis Mis Nus religion help the Hmong deal with the social and ethnic disruptions that globalization has presented.

David Ridge, Brigham Young University Religion This paper examines 2 Samuel 11 in light of a broadened understanding of the betrothal type-scene first identified by Robert Alter. The definition of type-scene in this context is broadened by comparative study with another feature of traditional narrative, the “theme” identified by Albert Lord as a significant characteristic of oral narratives. Examining the theme and type- scene together allows for a better definition of type-scene which leads to the identification of previously overlooked type-scenes. It is argued that 2 Samuel 11 contains all the elements and key- words necessary to be a type-scene of the betrothal journey narrative type; creating a literary relationship between this passage and the betrothal narratives of the patriarchs including those of Isaac in Gen 24, Jacob in Gen 29 and Moses in Exodus 2. Utilizing this approach allows for a clearer understanding of the textual depiction of David and his actions in the Hebrew Bible, a new understanding of the intertextual relationship between 2 Samuel 11 and narratives in Genesis and Exodus, and a broader and more valuable understanding of narrative structures within the Hebrew Bible.

Abbie Black, Brigham Young University History Wet-nursing, a common practice in early modern England, was looked upon as a respectable source of income for women until the latter half of the eighteenth century. Scholars and doctors criticized the practice in both moral and medical terms, which influences how scholars analyze the occupation today. Constant attacks on the occupation continued until the practice was associated with lower class, sinful women; the practice all but disappeared by the early twentieth century because of the negative rhetoric and the advances in safe synthetic feeding practices. Historical scholarship reflects the negative rhetoric that was prevalent for the past two centuries; they forget to mention that wet-nurses continued to be essential to Early Modern English culture and Victorian families. Both the employer family and wet-nurse relied on this labor; families with an at risk child needed the labor of the wet-nurse, and the wet-nurse needed the income for her own support. Recent trends in scholarship focus on the practice from the top down as an institution rather than an occupation for individuals. I intend to fill this gap in scholarship by focusing on the wet-nurse as an individual functioning independently from the increasingly negative rhetoric during the mid-nineteenth century.

Susie McGann, Brigham Young University Humanities As the American economy changes, jobs are becoming increasingly more focused on teamwork, collaboration, and analytical and social skills in addition to technical skills. My initial hypothesis is that such knowledge and skills can be located in the category of a capacity for leadership–leadership of a sort that is of value even among entry-level professionals. These skills can be acquired through study in the Humanities. With my research, I hope to prompt change in the existing culture among students majoring in these fields so that they will begin conversations about careers earlier and more frequently among fellow students and faculty. In order to reach these goals, I collaborated with other humanities students to compile a group of individual essays that explain to undergraduates in Humanities majors how their study is preparing them to be leaders. I reviewed and edited these papers, and researched and wrote a supplicant formal essay to address current or prospective students in Humanities disciplines. The collection of papers are accessible to Humanities students through the College of Humanities as a resource written by students in their fields that explains the value of a Humanities education for life after college. I also organized and hosted an event for undergraduate Humanities students to begin a college-wide conversation about their Humanities degrees in terms of leadership.

Joshua Klein, Brigham Young University History In the last half of the 20th Century, the history of the enigmatic British intelligence community has been increasingly exposed as multiple archives have allowed access to original documents. This project involves a study of the Joint Intelligence Community, an agency created a few years before the outbreak of World War 2. The committee had the task of combining reports from the various agencies within the British Intelligence community into one cohesive report for the Chiefs of Staff and the Prime Minister. As part of a research project at Cambridge University, I acquired the primary sources (the JIC reports throughout the war) in a trip to the Kew Archive of the British National Archives in London. Because the reports represent the various agencies’ combined reports, they consequently offer a remarkable insight into the thinking of British policy makers on a week by week basis; thus, they reveal British policy makers’ information, opinions, and perceptions within the context of the war. These extraordinary sources profoundly limit historical anachronism. My discoveries reveal a plethora of inconsistencies between our contemporary understanding of British perceptions during the war and actual British perceptions during the war. Following is a brief list of these preliminary discoveries, which I hope to present at UCUR. I will discuss how these insights helps shape our contemporary understanding of British perceptions during the war. Surprising hesitancy to believe that Germany would attack Russia Over-estimation of Britain’s role in the war and a under-estimation of Russia’s role Relatively late recognition of Germany’s doomed fate on the Eastern Front Failure to recognize German potential to continue fighting as the war nears the end Severe British anxiety regarding German attempts for a peace agreement Explicit failure to identify the Nazis’ ideological motivations throughout the entire war Anti-Soviet tendencies throughout the war

Matt Cox, Brigham Young University History The role of the Magistrate or civil leader was a topic of debate in the time of John Locke and a focus of many of his political writings. Focusing on four of his main political pieces, his Essay on Toleration, a Letter Concerning Toleration, Two Treatises on Government, and Paraphrase and Notes on the Epistles of St. Paul, I examine how he developed his ideas on the role of the magistrate and the changes that take place. I show how Locke transitions from his youthful acceptance of the absolute rule of kings to his final views where he shows how even Paul leaves room open in his epistles for disobedience to rulers. Essential in this transition is Locke’s limitation on the powers of the magistrate. In his early writings Locke allows for the use of force in protecting the overall good of the society. Locke redefines this vague role of the magistrate by limiting the power of the magistrate to acting only in the protection of the rights, liberties and property of their citizens.

Madison Mercer, Brigham Young University Anthropology Between 1964 and 1969, Spotten Cave near Goshen, Utah was excavated by Brigham Young University (BYU) archaeologists. In 1971, James M. Mock published the only official report dedicated to this site as his Master’s Thesis. This cave contained valuable artifacts that can allude to the diet and medicinal plants of the Fremont Indians and other Utah prehistoric groups. Such plant knowledge is scarce throughout the Eastern Great Basin, even among those cultural groups where much is known. Through a comparison study called ethnohistory between those living now, such as modern Gosiute, Ute, and Shoshone, with what plants have been found in human coprolites (fecal remains) from Spotten Cave, it is possible to recon- struct what plants prehistoric people may have used for food or medicine. This will provide greater insight into who lived before in the Eastern Great Basin and is helpful knowledge for those wishing to study how the Utah environment was utilized in the past.

Laura Hatch, Brigham Young University Humanities, Classics, Comparative Literature Art historians and artists have long treated linear perspective solely as an artistic technique. As defined by the Italian Renaissance, linear perspective is a tool to recreate reality on a canvas. But linear perspective carries philosophical implications, as well. Albrecht Dürer, a German Renaissance artist, seems to have understood perspective’s limitations in truth-making. In reading this image with a knowledge of Heideggerian phenom- enology, I propose that while on the surface this woodcut may seem to be nothing more than an illustration of proper technique, Dürer is actually exposing linear perspective’s failure to capture and truly represent an image as reality.

Hanna Winzenried, Brigham Young University History Red hair is one of the most rare hair colors. In fact, only two percent of the world’s population has naturally red hair. My research attempts to show how Western perception of red hair has undergone transformations over time. I seek to show how red hair has been associated with a variety of perceptions from the Middle Ages onward. This is not a comprehensive study, but one that takes a variety of primary sources to show how changing societal perceptions of red hair imbued females (and males) with a variety of traits contributing to a kind of physiognomy of hair whereby a person’s character could be read through hair color.

Megan Barber, Brigham Young University History This project investigates the British view on the Civil War in the United States. Specifically, it explores the correspondence between Richard Lyons, the British envoy to the United States, and Lord Russell, the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. It charts the changing perception of Lyons’ view of the Civil War as it progressed during the first crucial year of the conflict. The Confederacy actively sought British recognition and in fact sent two representatives to the United Kingdom who were subsequently seized by a Union ship. Lyons’ role in what came to be known as the Trent Affair is known, but has overshadowed his other perceptions of the conflict. This project draws on the original PRO manuscript correspondence held in the UK National Archives in London.

Jennifer Mitchell, Brigham Young University History The science fiction television show, Star Trek, deals heavily with political issues ranging from the complexities of war to changing gender roles in American culture. My paper will discuss how the show accomplishes this successfully, particularly through the representation of historical events. The Holocaust is one example of a reoccurring theme throughout the show, an issue that is addressed appropriately when many representations of the Holocaust are so heavily criticized. This paper will examine the themes and structures of different episodes through out Star Trek: The Original Series. One episode to clearly address the anti-Semitic attitudes of the Nazi Regime, “Patterns of Force,” aired on February 16, 1968, a relatively short time after the Regime had fallen. Many of the adult viewers at this time had experienced the Holocaust in their lifetimes, directly or indirectly. An episode entitled “Space Seed” deals with eugenics and the idea of creating a super race. The episode attempts to demonstrate how those in the 23rd century may react to such practices. In “Consciousness of the King” Captain Kirk reveals that he had personally witnessed and been victim to genocide. Not only does genocide clearly connect to the Holocaust, William Shatner (the actor who portrays the Captain) is in fact Jewish. His costar Leonard Nimoy (Spock) also comes from Jewish heritage. Having two Jewish actors in leading roles adds yet another level of complexity when portraying such sensitive material. The paper will take this into account as well as other complications of representing the Holocaust in popular culture.

Charles Wilson, Brigham Young University Anthropology The purpose of this project has been to recreate a poorly understood Fremont (A.D. 300-A.D. 1300) ware known as corrugated pottery. Little is known about corrugation other than it seems to have made its appearance late in the Fremont world around A.D. 1100. Exactly how Fremont potters made corrugated pottery is a sparsely visited subject in publications. Attempting to recreate corrugated pottery, an exercise in experimental archaeology, has already suggested that corrugation was not only decorative, but played a role in the construction of corrugated vessels. Obscure practices of bygone Fremont potters will come to light as experiments progress.

Danielle Leavitt, Brigham Young University English/Russian While the former Soviet Union touted economy and a single social class, the socioeconomic differences that have emerged within Ukrainian families in the twenty years since the fall of the Soviet Union are widely unexplored. Our research comes in the form of creative nonfiction essays, which examine and contrast the everyday experience of Ukrainian families–specifically Ukrainian women–within three disparate socioeconomic classes. Based on a summer-long field study in Kiev, Ukraine living with three families in contrasting socioeconomic circumstances, our essays observe and explain facets of Ukrainian culture that are commonly misunderstood, yet deeply spiritual and culturally significant to Ukrainians. Our project explores the day to day workings of three Ukrainian families in suburban low class, urban middle class, and upper-oligarchical class, searching for stories describing quotidian life within their varying circumstances. There will be particular emphasis on the experiences of women. The project is presented in creative non- fiction essays stemming from observations, historical research, and the experience of the Ukrainians with whom I interacted. Ukraine (specifically its capital, Kiev) has a rich cultural and political history and a flowering modern culture heavily influenced by deep-rooted traditions, superstitions, and beliefs. Little creative nonfiction writing contributes to the exploration of both sophisticated and unsophisticated Ukraine. Our goal is to do just that; to delve into the human, commonplace intricacies of varied Ukrainian life through observation and writing.

Nathan Gill, Brigham Young University Geography The Africanized honeybee first entered southern Utah within the last five years. This invasive species reduces pollination and honey production and is therefore costly to the farming industry and local apiaries. Additionally, Africanized honeybees are extremely aggressive and pose a threat to the health and well-being of Utah’s residents. The aim of my study is determine if Africanized honeybee habitat in Utah can be accurately modeled through remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems analysis. Locations of known Africanized honeybee presence and absence, acquired from the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food’s ground reference data, were used to identify the characteristics of suitable habitat. Criteria that we considered include minimum temperature, precipitation, distance to water, elevation, slope, aspect, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, among others. I have identified the conditions for suitable habitat and I am in the process of designing a model to identify Africanized honeybee habitat across Utah. After the model has been refined, it will be tested against additional locations of presence and absence acquired from the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. The modeled habitat will help the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food and other organizations to focus efforts to educate the public about the dangers of Africanized honeybees in specific locations that are at high risk.

Arlene Johnston, Brigham Young University Nursing Description:

Edie Kieu-Mi Nguyen and Cassandra Nguyen, University of Utah Nursing Home hospice care is a growing area within the health care system. However, because of the difficulty in gaining access to these patients and caregivers in the home, research findings have been slow to keep pace with this growth. While hospice has been at the forefront of family-centered care, explicitly stating that the unit of care is the family, there has been little empirical research to show who is actually involved in this care in the home on a regular basis. Hypothesis: Our goal of this project was to describe who is present at the nurse home visit with the patient. Research Method: This research, part of a larger intervention study, involved reviewing audio recordings of home hospice visits to set up a coding system for future communication coding. During this review, we also identified and documented those present during the visit. Results: In our sample of 115 home hospice visits, 12 nurses caring for 13 patients spent an average of XXX minutes each (SD=XXX) in the home. We have found that caregivers are present 80% of the time. Our data shows that a spouse is present in 28% of visits. In 58.3% of visits, a daughter is present, while sons are present in only 3.1% of visits. Implications: It is important to know who is present at the visit and how long they spent with the patient to increase our understanding of what goes on in home hospice care. This research has implications for improving patient care. For example, in order to promote a more family orientated home care; more family members should participate in nurse visits. This descriptive research can be used in practice for hospices to know who to expect during patient home visits, as well as to incorporate the family members better into the patient care plan.

Xin Wan, University of Utah College of Health, and Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes We hypothesized that PP2A activation is required for lipid-induced, ceramide-mediated arterial dysfunction. Mice haploinsufficient for dihydroceramide desaturase (des1+/-) and their wild-type littermates (des1+/+) were infused (iv) for 6 h with lard-oil (LO) or vehicle (veh). Subgroups of LO and veh mice were treated (1.5 mg/kg IP) for 3 days prior to infusion with the PP2A inhibitor LB1 (Lixte Biotechnology, NY). LO increased ceramide accrual in arteries from des1+/+ but not des1+/mice. Palmitate (3 h x 500 uM) increased (p<0.05) PP2A activity, and impaired (p<0.05) insulin-stimulated p-eNOS(S) 1177 to eNOS in endothelial cells, and these responses were negated by LB1 (4 uM; n=5-8). Endothelium-dependent and -independent relaxation of femoral arteries (~ 150 um i.d.) was assessed using acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), respectively (n=3 mice / group, 3 vessels / mouse). ACh-mediated (2×10-8, 3×10-8, and 6×10-8 M) relaxation (%) was less (p<0.05) in LO des1+/+ (30±2, 41±3, and 61±4, respectively) vs. veh des1+/+ mice (48±4, 67±6, and 73±6, respectively). Endothelial dysfunction observed in LO des1+/+ mice was less severe when ceramide accrual (i.e. LO des1+/mice) or PP2A activation (i.e., LB1 +LO des1+/+ mice) were prevented. SNP-evoked vasorelaxation was intact among groups. LO-induced ceramide accumulation induces endothelial dysfunction that is dependent upon PP2A activation. ADA1-12-BS-208, 2R15HL091493

Nicole Kelbert, University of Utah Nursing Introduction:

Darien Shapiro, University of Utah Pharmacology and Toxicology Exposure to wood smoke particulate matter (WSPM) has been linked to exacerbation of asthma, development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and premature death. Combustion-derived PM (cdPM) such as cigarette smoke (CS), diesel exhaust (DEP), and WSPM, activate transient receptor potential ankyrin-1 (TRPA1) which promotes neurogenic inflammation/edema and airway irritation/cough. The mechanism of TRPA1 activation by DEP and CS involves the electrophilic/oxidant binding (3CK) and menthol-binding (ST) sites, and a novel mechanosensitive site. We hypothesized that WSPM would activate TRPA1 through one or more of these sites similar to other cdPM. Pine and mesquite PM were generated in the laboratory. Both types of WSPM particles activated TRPA1 in human TRPA1 over-expressing HEK-293 and primary mouse trigeminal (TG) neurons. WSPM also activated TRPA1 in A549 cells, a human alveolar adenocarcinoma cell line, which has recently been shown to express TRPA1. HC030031, a TRPA1 specific antagonist, attenuated the calcium flux due to WSPM treatment in both human A459 cells and mouse primary TG neurons. Differential activation of TRPA1, as a function of particle size, demonstrated that PM2.5 m were most potent. Several known chemical components of WSPM, including 3,5-ditert-butylphenol and agathic acid were TRPA1 agonists. Both WSPM and agathic acid activated TRPA1 primarily via binding the 3CK site, based on inhibition of calcium flux by glutathione and mutation of the 3CK site. Conversely, 3,5-ditert-butylphenol activated TRPA1 through the ST site. This study established the mechanism by which WSPM and associated chemical components activated TRPA1 which may help tailor effective therapeutic treatments for WSPM pneumotoxicity. Support: NIEHS ES017431 and the University of Utah Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.

Elizabeth Johnson, University of Utah College of Health, and Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes Constant-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are implanted in heart failure patients to assist the heart in pumping blood through the body either temporarily as a “bridge” mechanism until a heart transplant or permanently as a destination therapy. The blood flows constantly with an LVAD contrary to the natural pulsatile flow of the human heart. We wanted to determine if this constant flow attenuated the function of the arteries. A transmural biopsy was taken from seven male patients (52±6 years old) when the LVAD was implanted (pre) and again 142±2 days later upon LVAD explant (post). Arteries were obtained from the pre and post tissue biopsies. Vessel function was assessed using isometric tension techniques. After Lmax tension was determined for each vessel, the contraction-response curve of each vessel was tested using potassium chloride (KCl, 10-100 mM). Next the vessels were pre-contracted to ~65% maximal tension and treated with bradykinin (BK, 10-6 to 10-10 M) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 10-4 to 10-9 M) to determine, respectively, endothelium-dependent and -independent vasorelaxation. Maximal KCl-evoked contraction (0.99±0.22 and 0.69±0.14 mg tension development / μm vessel length), maximal BK-evoked vasorelaxation (64±13% and 80±7%), and maximal SNP-evoked vasorelaxation (92±3% and 92±4%), was similar in arteries obtained from pre (n=13 arteries, 206±40 μm i.d.) and post (n=14 arteries, 288±24 μm i.d.) transmural biopsy samples, respectively. These preliminary data indicate that coronary vascular function is not attenuated by LVAD implantation.

Israel Worthington, Utah Valley University Science and Health The Nation and world’s dependency on fuels has steadily grown over the last several decades. The world’s consumption of oil dramatically increases in the United States and peaks at approximately 20 million barrels of oil each day. Predictions of decreasing fuel reserves and increasing costs have made the development of a renewable fuel source increasingly appropriate. Much research has been done using the fermentative process to produce biofuels as an alternative fuel source, but the research attempting to utilize photosynthetic bacteria as a producer of alternative fuels is relatively undeveloped. In this research, it was attempted to transform cyanobacteria with the gene necessary to produce the enzyme methyl-butenol synthase, which catalyzes the production of the biofuel methyl-butenol. The gene for methyl-butenol was successfully transformed into cyanobacteria on a plasmid, and production of the enzyme methyl-butenol synthase was successfully detected via western blotting. The production of an alternative fuel source using photosynthetic bacteria could create a cheap, renewable, and more environmentally friendly source of fuel.

Mikaelyn Miles, University of Utah Pediatrics Altering myocardial growth interferes with hemodynamic parameters such as blood flow or pressure, and subsequently alters vascular development. We hypothesized that experimentally increasing hemodynamic stress by conotruncal banding during early heart development would result in a remodeling of the arterial wall. The outflow tract of a stage-21 (3_-d) chick embryo was constricted with an overhand knot of a 10-0 nylon suture, and the embryo was returned to the incubator. Normal embryo was not operated. We harvested the embryo at stage-34 (8-d), and fixed the heart in diastole with 0.025 μg/Kg diltiazem in 4% paraformaldehyde. Transverse sections of the carotid artery were stained with H&E staining, and the dorsal aorta was treated with rhodamin-phalloidin-smooth muscle antibody staining. En face sections of the aorta were examined under confocal microscopy. Morphometric analysis was quantitated using customized MatLab software for filament-actin alignment and density. Data are presented as mean±SEM, and analyzed by Student’s t test and ANOVA with statistical significance defined as a p value of less than 5%. Both right and left carotid arteries in the conotruncal banded heart had a thinner vessel wall when compared to the arteries of the normal embryos. Some vessels in the conotruncal banded hearts displayed dilation and variation in size between the right and left coronary arteries. The overall filament length in the dorsal aorta between the normal and banded hearts (39.8±4.3 vs. 29.6±2.7 μm, respectively) was statistically different (p<0.05). The filaments were also widely spaced in the conotruncal banded hearts. Altered growth in the developing heart caused by altering the hemodynamics results in secondary abnormalities in development due to abnormal vascular architecture. These factors may be important in the understanding of myocardial development with defects such

Samantha Webber, Brigham Young University Nursing Background: In November of 2012, a small group from BYU’s College of Nursing returned to Guayaquil, Ecuador to measure anemia indicators post interventions in school age children. In May of 2012 a larger group, including students, from BYU’s College of Nursing had visited Guayaquil for the fourth consecutive year to assess malnutrition and anemia rates in school age children. This multi-phase research project which began in May of 2009 found that nearly 41% of the children in this area suffered from anemia (below 11g/dl as per WHO guidelines). The adverse effects of anemia for these children can include: weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath, and poor concentration. Anemia may result from deficiencies of iron, B12, folic acid, and may also be the result of intestinal parasites. A nutrition survey conducted among these same school children showed that daily intake of iron, B12, and folic acid were below recommended levels. Intervention: In May of 2009 Hogar de Cristo (HDC), a non-profit organization, began distributing 6 to 8 ounce bottles of soy milk as a school snack for each school-aged child at a few of the schools in the area. A local pharmaceutical company who supplied vitamin and iron supplements during the first year of the soy milk distribution, reassessed anemia rates in those children in November of 2009. The BYU College of Nursing continued to assess school- aged children for measures of anemia and growth and development in 2010 and 2011 as directed by Hogar de Cristo. After 2011 it was difficult to correlate anemia and soy milk because of changes in the sample from year to year. In May of 2012 the BYU College of Nursing shifted their focus to four interventions with the aim of determining which one would best lower anemia rates. The study focused on students at four schools in the perimetral area, each school received one of the interventions as an adjunct to soy milk: vitamin supplements, antiparasites, vitamins and antiparasites, and a control group (soy milk only). Growth and development measures along with rates of anemia were reassessed in November 2012. Results: In May of 2012 the BYU College of Nursing tested 1041 school-ages children for growth and development and anemia. growth and development rate results spanning the four years of testing, and a comparison of anemia rates between intervention groups and control groups.

Ashlee Manwaring, Brigham Young University Nursing Purpose: To examine how the new policy of Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement being based on HCAHPS scores affects nursing care. Rationale: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) mandates that Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement be based on hospital performance and patient satisfaction. Patient satisfaction is measured nationally through the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. The HCAHPS survey was development in the early 2000’s to create a uniform measure for patient perspectives regarding their inpatient stay; however, with the HCAHPS scores being related to Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, hospitals are required to reevaluate their quality of care from the patient, not medical, perspective. Van Empel et al. (2011) found that physicians and nurses primarily value medical outcomes of treatment. While, at the same time, patient’s value patient-centeredness, even if it means decreasing the desired outcome of treatment. Undertaking: A literature review was completed by searching in CINAHL and Medline. Preliminary research used HCAHPS and Medicare reimbursement as key words. Second, a search was completed using HCAHPS and nursing as key words. All results were published between 2008 and 2012. Outcomes: Kutney-Lee et al. (2009) reported that patient satisfaction was primarily linked with nurse-to-patient ratio, interdisciplinary collaboration and work environment. Research by Robinson and Watters (2010) found the main factor in patient dissatisfaction was feeling like the nurses were short staffed, task-oriented and rushed, leaving the patient lacking adequately communication to understand their situation. Van Empel et al. (2011) reported patients’ willingness to change providers and facilities to received patient-centered care. Conclusion: Nurses have the greatest potential to effect patient satisfaction. Therefore, with the new regulation of Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement based on patient satisfaction surveys, nurses have a greater responsibility to ensure patient satisfaction. From the research presented, the main nursing implication is to help each patient feel like their care is centered on what is important to that individual. This can most easily be accomplished by the nurse opening a line of communication with the patient, and then advocating for the patient’s wishes.

Austin Stevens, University of Utah Pediatrics Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a common autosomal dominant genetic disorder. It affects 1/3500 individuals worldwide (Friedman, 2002). It is classically characterized as a neurocutaneous disorder, but osseous and spinal abnormalities are clearly associated with NF1. These complications are not well understood and rarely emphasized, even though as high as 38% have been reported to have osseous manifestations (Crawford and Schorry, 1999). In particular, the medical management of scoliosis in NF1 is problematic with no consensus on preferred treatment strategies. More information on the natural history and health-related quality of life are needed before effective therapies can be designed as assessment of treatment efficacy is complex and outcome measures difficult to define. Dr. Stevenson and Dr. Viskochil are part of an NF Consortium focused on developing clinical trials in NF1. However, specific outcome measures are needed for these clinical trials. In particular changes in quality of life are an essential part of clinical trials. Our objective is to determine if specific quality of life instruments can be utilized in the NF1 population for the skeletal manifestations. A battery of these instruments were used given that it was not known which instrument would be most appropriate for the various manifestations of NF1. A total of 129 patients were enrolled in this study, and the relevant questionnaires were administered and recorded. Categorical data of health status will be summarized as frequency distributions and differences among groups will be assessed using chi-square tests of proportions. Frequency distributions for interval-scale variables of health status (e.g., HUI single-attribute utility scores) and HRQL (e.g., HUI multi-attribute utility and PedsQL4.0 summary scores) will be summarized as mean, standard deviation, 95% confidence bounds, median, minimum and maximum. T-tests and analysis of variance techniques (including repeated-measures models) will be used to test differences in means between groups.

Deborah Nelson, University of Utah Pediatrics Families of pediatric cancer patients are presented with significant emotional, social, and financial challenges. Most children with cancer are treated in pediatric oncology centers located in urban areas and many must travel great distances for therapy. This study aims to evaluate the burden of care associated with pediatric cancer care and to determine the impact of the location of patients’ residence on those burdens. We administered a n=310 (48-item, English) and n=46 (72-item, Spanish) survey to the primary caregiver of patients, ages 0-18 years, diagnosed with a cancer between three to six months prior to the survey. Survey domains included measures of rurality, time from first symptoms to diagnosis, financial burden (travel costs and time, missed work, relocation) and missed school. Survey analysis suggests rural families and those traveling >2 hours to a pediatric oncology center took longer to obtain diagnosis, missed more work days, paid more in travel expenses and relocated more often than families living closer. Of the respondents, 18% were considered “rural” with 38% reporting greater than one-hour travel time and 25% reporting greater than two-hour travel time. Mean onset of initial symptoms to diagnosis was 11.4 weeks for rural and 7.6 weeks for urban patients. Mean out of pocket costs per clinic visit for rural were over three times that of urban patients. Twenty-nine percent (n=102) moved since diagnosis; of that 33% reported moving was directly due to cancer. Fifty-six percent of school-aged patients discontinued school; of those 28% were unable to “keep up” and 10% repeated a grade. Caring for a child with cancer places a significant number of burdens on the patient’s family. This burden appears greater for patients living in rural and distant areas and could effect patient care and access to treatment.

Jennifer Nhan, University of Utah College of Health, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes The overall goal of our laboratory is to elucidate mechanisms whereby endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS) enzyme function and NO bioavailability are impaired in individuals with diet-induced obesity (DIO), type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and insulin resistance. This is a clinically relevant issue because all of these conditions are associated with poor vascular function that might be precipitated by disrupted eNOS enzyme function and NO bioavailability. To study this issue we use model systems including cell culture, isolated arteries, and rodents. It is important to have an accurate, reproducible, and sensitive method to detect NO in each of these systems. The purpose of my work was to optimize the technique of electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) to assess NO in bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs). NO contains an unpaired electron. This structural feature facilitates the measurement of NO via EPR. NO is detected with a spin trap of FeSO4 and diethyldithiocarbamate trihydrate (DETC). In the presence of NO, the spin trap forms a NO-Fe(DETC) complex which is detected by EPR. BAECs were grown to 70-80% confluency in six-well plates, and treated with: (i) vehicle (buffer only), (ii) 600 uM of insulin (an NO agonist), (iii) 10 uM of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine acetate salt [LNMMA, an NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor], and (iv) three doses (1, 10, 100 uM) of diethylammonium (DEA) NONOate (an NO donor) to serve as a positive control. All treatments contained L-arginine [the substrate for endothelial NOS (eNOS)] and FeSO4 (the spin trap). After a 60-min incubation with treatments (i) (iv), cells were dislodged from each plate, collected, frozen in liquid nitrogen, and NO was detected using EPR. Relative to vehicle treatment, 1uM, 10uM, and 100uM DEA NONOate increased NO production by 50±8%, 150±2%, and 700±26% (p<0.05) respectively. Insulin increased (p<0.05) NO production by 73±4% vs. vehicle, and this response was prevented in cells treated with insulin + LNMMA. These results indicate EPR is a suitable method to detect cellular NO production. My next project is to optimize this technique for use in isolated arteries from experimental animal models.

Cami Schiel, Brigham Young University Nursing 65 French hospital nurses in Avignon, France were surveyed about their opinions about healthcare. Survey results identified and described French nurses’ perceptions of their health care system as well as other systems. Access to care was a positive aspect of their healthcare system that was identified by a majority of the respondents. Abuse or lack of oversight, and budget deficit were major themes identified as negative aspects of the French healthcare system. The French nurses’ opinions about different countries’ health care systems were compared to World Health Organization [WHO] (2000) rankings. French nurses overwhelmingly ranked France’s healthcare system as number one, which matched the WHO (2000) ranking. 73% of respondents prioritized preventative care over acute treatment. Work and other professional peers were identified as the main sources of influence on French nurses’ perceptions of health- care both French and internationally. Nurses’ opinions heavily influenced other nurses in the workplace. An implication from this study is that nurses can have a powerful impact on others’ viewpoints about healthcare. They are also a valuable resource for identifying strengths and weaknesses of a healthcare system, given their lived experience working in the healthcare system.

Kara Vickers, University of Utah Nursing Symptoms related to cancer and its treatments are a significant source of distress for children and adolescents with cancer. Although children and adolescents may receive interventions aimed at alleviating symptoms, the hospital care environment itself may be one that adds to the overall symptom burden. The purpose of this study is to investigate relationships between symptoms experienced by hospitalized children and adolescents with cancer and the care environment on an inpatient pediatric oncology unit. This prospective, descriptive study uses use a repeated measure, within-group design to identify relationships between symptoms and the nursing care environment that can be used to guide future interventions. Participants are 50 children and adolescents (7 to 18 years of age) with cancer. Data collection is occurring over a 3-day and 3-night period. Children and adolescents’ symptoms are measured each shift using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale for patients aged 7-12 years. Participants also answer two open-ended questions about what has bothered them about the hospital environment and what they perceive could improve the hospital environment. Sound and light levels are measured continuously using a sound pressure level meter and data logger placed approximately 48 inches from the child’s bedside. Nursing care activities are measured through counts of care activities occurring during room entries by nursing staff. Room entries are identified using an Axis pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) dome camera. A member of the research team reviews the child’s nursing flow sheet, medication administration record, acuity level, laboratory values, and medical orders each day. Data is presently being collected and will be analyzed using hierarchical mixed effects statistical models. Long-term goals of this project include improving symptom management in the inpatient setting, minimizing modifiable factors in the care environment that cause greater symptom burden, and lastly use the findings to inform hypotheses for a larger intervention studies. Hopefully these studies will target structuring the hospital care environment to minimize the symptom burden experienced by hospitalized children and adolescents with cancer and, ultimately, promote their quality of life.

Jordyn Whiting, Brigham Young University Nursing Purpose: To demonstrate use of a guide to help nursing students increase cultural competency gained during study abroad programs.Background/significance: In a world of increasing globalization, nurses are more likely to care for patients of a cultural background different from their own. To care for increasingly diverse patients, nurses need greater cultural competence to provide the safest and highest quality of care possible. Study abroad programs have been shown to be an excellent way to provide cultural education for students. The number of students choosing to participate in these programs has more than doubled in the last ten years. However, no research is available from a student perspective on how to plan for an optimum learning experience during study abroad. A research-based guide, from a student perspective, will help students take better advantage of experiences abroad to increase cultural competency. Methods: A literature review using online databases (including CINAHL and MEDLINE) was conducted using search terms such as nursing student, student, cultural competency, cultural sensitivity, cultural awareness, study abroad, international experience, and exchange program. Articles from the online search were used to compile a student guide. The guide includes competence-enhancing activities, formulated using brief anecdotal summaries and trending study abroad outcomes found in the articles. The guide’s framework came from Josepha Campinha-Bacote’s 2002 article, “The Process of Cultural Competence in the Delivery of Healthcare Services: A Model of Care,” and its subsequently updated versions (2007 and 2011). With the original version of the guide, there were 16 activities in four categories: cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, cultural skill, and cultural desire. The guide also included 16 blank squares where students could create their own activities. The guide contains a small reflective writing portion where students can think about their experiences as a whole and how they can implement what they learned into practice. A total of 12 students, including the author, used the guide in two different study abroad programs, first while participating in a Global Health and Human Diversity program with the College of Nursing in Tonga in May 2012.

Laura Gilpin, Brigham Young University Nursing Purpose/Aims: The purpose of this pilot study was (1) to examine nursing students’ perceptions of their first experience with death in the clinical setting and (2) to determine if curricular changes are necessary to better prepare nursing students effectively cope with their first death experience as a nurse. Background: Death, particularly the unexpected death of a patient, is an emotionally charged, high-stress situation for any nurse. Nursing students encounter scenarios involving death and dying in simulation laboratories, as well as in the clinical setting. In simulation settings debriefing is routinely accomplished and is seen as a critical component of the learning experience. However, Leavy and colleagues (2011) found that even during formal simulation debriefing sessions nursing students were not able to fully process their emotions In real-life clinical settings, the stakes are even higher as nursing students must be able to effectively cope with the death of a patient. Unfortunately, research on students’ first experience with death is limited. Huang and colleagues (2010) found students may not receive adequate support from clinical nursing instructors during the dying process and after a patient’s death. Methods: This was a descriptive mixed methods pilot study. An online anonymous survey was sent to students in the Brigham Young University College of Nursing regarding their first experience with death in the clinical setting (N=306). Students were e-mailed a brief description of the research project and an invitation to participate in the study only if they had experienced the death of a patient. Completion of the online questionnaire implied consent. The participants answered 5 demographic questions and 11 survey questions with the estimated time commitment for each participant being 15 minutes. Results: The online questionnaire was sent to 306 BSN nursing students Approximately 10% initially responded (N=33). A smaller group (N=25) completed the entire survey. Qualitative comments from nursing students who experienced the death of their patient included feeling sad, shocked and uncomfortable. Fifty percent of the nursing students did not receive any debriefing from their clinical instructor following the event.

Jacqueline Rodriguez, University of Utah Health Promotion and Education This is the second phase of an anticipated multistage research study. The first phase was completed Spring of 2012 and data showed that drivers of personal vehicles were having a difficult time hearing Emergency Medical Service (EMS) vehicles when driving with their radio on or while operating a hands-free cell phone which may be a leading factor in many of the estimated 9,000 EMS accidents a year. Information will be collected from accident reports and personal interviews will be conducted with EMS personnel who have been involved in a vehicular accident while driving an EMS vehicle. Similarities found in the interviews and accident reports that may explain why vehicular accidents involving EMS occur will be recorded. The accident reports which will be analyzed will have occurred in the past five years and will have transpired within the State of Utah. One-on-one interviews will be conducted about the accident in the State of Utah and with EMS personnel that have been in a vehicular accident in the past 5 years while driving an EMS vehicle. It is hypothesized that many of the vehicular accidents involving EMS drivers occur due to drivers in personal vehicles not noticing EMS vehicles in enough time to clear the way. It is believe the results gathered from the interview and accident reports will show that drivers do not see/hear EMS vehicles very well when distracted. In the cases where the EMS driver was found at fault for the accident, it may be due to having to resort to unsafe driving practices because they are responding to an emergency and the drivers in personal vehicles are not moving out of the way in a timely manner or simply not at all. It is anticipated that the results of this study should be available late December.

Heather Peatross, Southern Utah University Agriculture and Nutrition Sciences Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is defined as any ingestible herb, supplement, or other substance used to increase one’s health or well-being both physically and mentally. National studies have examined the usage of CAM. In 2007, the latest year surveyed by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), approximately 38% of adults in the U.S. were using some form of CAM with the greatest usage among women and persons with higher education and income levels. Non-vitamin/mineral natural products are the most commonly used CAM therapies. Americans spent $33.9 billion out-of-pocket on CAM over the previous 12 months. Little information regarding CAM use and knowledge in a rural college-age population is available. The purpose of this study is to examine the knowledge Southern Utah University (SUU) students have of CAM, usage by this population, and the reasons for using these products. Do SUU students typically use CAM therapies in their daily lives? Do SUU students use CAM primarily when ill? Are SUU students using CAM as a replacement for traditional (western) medicine? What types of CAM are being used (particularly herbal or dietary supplements)? It is hypothesized that the majority (>50%) of CAM users do not discuss their alternative therapies with a health care physician. Additionally it is hypothesized that students that have been diagnosed, or have a family member that has been diagnosed, with cancer are more knowledgeable/more likely to have used CAM therapies. Four hundred and eighty students were surveyed in a convenience sample of fourteen general education classes at SUU. The survey asked about usage of CAM therapies (including for health or sport performance), overall experience with CAM products used, sources of health advice, and any discussion with their medical physician regarding CAM use. Study results and conclusions are pending.

Jacob Robinson, Brigham Young University Mechanical Engineering Figure skating is a competitive sport that requires athletes to practice up to 5 days a week year round performing 50 to 100 jumps per day. This results in high, repetitive impact forces on the skater’s body which may lead to overuse injuries. While the negative effects of figure skating are well documented, the cause of these injuries is still unclear because the complexity of artistic figure skating limits current instrumentation from accurately measuring impact forces. This project has sought to fill this void by developing a force measurement system that will allow the figure skater to perform their jumps without any hindrance while accurately measuring the magnitude of the impact forces in the vertical and horizontal directions. Using strain gauges attached to the stanchions of the ice skate combined with a data collection system that attaches to the bottom of the boot, we have developed a prototype that accurately measures the forces produced in the ice skate. This will lead to a fully developed ice skate measurement system which will be used by researchers to investigate the impact forces generated in figure skating jumps and landings.

Connor George, Utah State University Electrical and Computer Engineering The SABER instrument, aboard the TIMED satellite, measures optical data regarding parameters of the Earth’s atmosphere with respect to altitude. Approximately once per minute, SABER performs a limb-scan measurement on the Earth’s atmosphere from which altitude emission profiles of key atmospheric gasses, including hydroxyl at wavelengths of 1.6 μm and 2.0 μm, are derived. Most hydroxyl profiles within the SABER dataset contain a single peak in the airglow altitude profile centered near an altitude of 87 km, but a significant portion of the profiles display two or more local maxima. MATLAB code was written to analyze the geophysical and temporal global distribution of the multiple-peak profiles. Graphs have been created which display relationships between the percentage of multiple-peak profiles and the local time, the cardinal orientation of the SABER device, and the latitude and longitude at which the atmospheric profile was measured. Patterns have been observed in multiple-peak profile distribution with respect to these variables. Possible causes of the multiple-peak occurrences in the hydroxyl altitude profiles include waves, geometrical effects of the SABER instrument, and/or chemistry of the atmosphere. In addition to graphing software, analysis software was written which counts the number of peaks present in any given altitude profile, and which ascertained the percentage of profiles displaying multiple-peak characteristics. A small (<1%) portion of hydroxyl altitude profiles were found to have abnormal distributions due to erroneous or noisy data collected by SABER. Software has also been written to remove such exceptions from the dataset. Additional investigation into the relationship between multiple-peak occurrences and cardinal direction orientation of the SABER device is required in order to further identify the causes for multiple peak profiles. An investigation into seasonal patterns for multiple-peak profiles is to be conducted. As the dataset grows, exception software will be updated to identify invalid altitude profiles. Also, ozone has been found to have multiple-peak altitude profiles similar to those of hydroxyl, and studies complementary to those performed on hydroxyl altitude profiles will be performed on ozone.

Derek Chang, University of Utah Bioengineering Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia, is a rapid, irregular heart beat arising from uncontrolled and asynchronized electrical activation in the atria. This disruption of the normal electrical signaling hinders the contraction of the heart, leading to decreased blood flow, possible clot (thrombus) formation, and an increased risk of stroke. The left atrial appendage (LAA) is a small muscular pouch of highly variable anatomy within the left atrium. The LAA plays a prominent role in thrombus formation in patients with AF because of decreased blood flow within this structure. Thus, we hypothesized that the shape of the left atrial appendage is different in AF patients with a documented history of stroke. We used statistical shape analysis to determine which LAA shape variations contribute to stroke based on a cohort of AF patients who had both MRI and CT scans and a documented history of stroke. We manually delineated the boundaries of the LAA from each patient’s CT and MRI scans to analyze the resulting LAA segmentations for shape variations across imaging modalities and history of stroke. The results showed that patients who have AF and a history of stroke have an LAA with a narrower insertion site into the left atrium and are larger in size. In contrast, patients who have AF, but no history of stroke, have an LAA with a wider insertion site, which are smaller in size. By isolating specific LAA shape variants indicative of an underlying risk of stroke, we can use this shape classification scheme to better tailor AF therapies to each individual patient.

Autumn Pando, Brigham Young University Mechanical Engineering The wrist is one of the most common sites for joint injury. Over two-thirds of 75,000 annual repetitive joint injuries occur at the wrist. Excessive or abnormal wrist forces are thought to be one of the main contributing factors, yet no characterization of normal wrist forces exists. The purpose of this research is to fill this lack by creating a systematic, quantitative characterization of wrist forces and torques experienced in daily life. This database will aid further research in developing better and more personalized treatments as well as improving design considerations for human-machine interfaces. Ten healthy subjects participated in the experiment. Subjects performed 25 activities representative of daily life (e.g. hygiene maintenance, food preparation, using technology). Electromyographic (EMG) sensors recorded wrist muscle activity and electromagnetic motion sensors recorded wrist kinematics. Each subject performed a calibration task prior to the experimental protocol to determine the proportionality constant between EMG activity and torque. Wrist force and torque were determined from EMG activity using a constant of proportionality (identified by calibration), muscle length, and muscle velocity. Co-contraction was computed from torque. Wrist muscle usage, forces, torque magnitudes, torque angles, and percentage of co-contraction at varying levels of contraction were characterized. The results indicate muscle use, forces, and torques are unevenly distributed.

Mitchell Dabling, Utah State University Civil and Environmental Engineering Water management and flood control are essential elements of civilization. Linear weirs (e.g. ogee crest, sharp crested, and broad crested weirs) are often used in irrigation channels or reservoir spillways to regulate the discharge and upstream water level during flood flows. As hydrologic data sets increase in size and accuracy, the highest probable maximum flood (PMF) discharge is becoming increasingly more accurate, and in many cases much larger than previous estimates. Because of this, an older weir may need to be rehabilitated to ensure it can pass the updated PMF discharge safely without upstream flooding. A nonlinear weir (e.g. labyrinth or piano key weir) can replace a linear weir in a channel or spillway to pass significantly more discharge without requiring increased channel width. The Utah Water Research Laboratory at Utah State University, with the help of Utah Mineral Lease Funds, has developed and published design data for multiple configurations of nonlinear weirs. In 2012, the Utah Division of Water Resources used this data to design a labyrinth-style nonlinear weir that will replace the spillway currently in use at Millsite Reservoir in Emery County. This rehabilitation project will significantly decrease the flooding potential of the surrounding area.

Kay (Beau) Freckleton, University of Utah Mechanical Engineering Current quad-rotors provide excellent maneuverability and opportunity for data collection in large scale areas such as agriculture, but lack the capability to maintain flight for an extended period of time. This is due primarily to a lack of energy supply, requiring operators to replace the battery source before the quad-rotor completes its designated purpose [1]. In this paper, we introduce a mechanism to enable flying robotic rotorcraft, such as quadrotors and helicopters which utilize vertical takeoff and landing, to perch similar to a bird. The mechanism is passive, using only the weight of the rotorcraft for actuation. Such a mechanism will dispel the need for multiple batteries by allowing the quadrotor to perch amid its designated flight course, recharge using solar energy, and complete data collection over large scale areas in less time. In previous research to this same end, biomimetic approaches were pursued, resulting in designs that looked similar to the legs and feet of birds. The design in this paper utilizes a Sarrus mechanism to convert rotorcraft weight into perch grip. We began by designing the mechanism for a range of cylindrical perch sizes. Using MATLAB, we developed a program to optimize the various mechanism dimensions needed to perch within this range while also maximizing the mechanical advantage of grip force. Using SolidWorks, a 3-dimensional model was created and manufactured with these dimensions. In testing, the mechanism successfully allowed a small RC helicopter to perch on a 4cm diameter rod with some resistance to external forces. However, in crash tests, the mechanism was unable to withstand certain moment forces and developed large fractures. Further research will focus on decreasing these moment forces’ ability to weaken the mechanism while optimizing perching capability.

Kimberly Uchida, University of Utah Bioengineering and Oncological Sciences Programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) loses its function as a tumor suppressor when co-expressed with a specific binding partner, protein arginine methyltransferase-5 (PRMT5). A better understanding of the regulation of PDCD4-PRMT5 interaction may lead to cancer therapies targeted at restoring the tumor suppressive function of PDCD4. Using Xenopus laevis (frog) eggs to generate extract trapped in either interphase or mitosis, we found that PDCD4-PRMT5 interaction is regulated by the cell cycle. Full-length PDCD4 bound PRMT5 more robustly in interphase than in mitosis. However, a truncated version of PDCD4, that retained the PRMT5 binding site, bound PRMT5 equally in interphase and mitosis. These results indicate that there may be a component of full-length PDCD4 that occludes the PRMT5 binding site in mitosis. Furthermore, we found that both full-length and the truncated PDCD4 are preferentially phosphorylated in mitosis, but preferentially methylated in interphase. From these results we speculate that phosphorylation of PDCD4 in mitosis allows PDCD4 to fold upon itself and effectively block the PRMT5 binding site. Additionally, phosphorylation may prevent methylation even when PRMT5 can bind PDCD4, explaining the lack of PDCD4 methylation in mitosis. Such an inhibitory mechanism may be useful in therapeutically restoring the tumor suppressive function of PDCD4. Future research will be aimed towards completing our understanding of PDCD4-PRMT5 interaction in the cell cycle, such as proving our model in human cells.