2014 Abstracts

Alysa Fratto, Westminster College Life Sciences Although the idea of life on other planets is mused over by many, the scientific study of the potential for extraterrestrial life did not begin until the mid-1950s (SETI, 2013). Since then, many technological advancements have been made that make the study of life on other planets simpler, however it is inherently difficult to study the potential for life in an environment that one cannot access. To address this issue, scientists look on Earth for extreme environments that mimic those found elsewhere in the universe.

Joseph Linzey, Brigham Young University Life Sciences Dopamine (DA) D2 receptor expression parallels DA levels in the brain and these autoreceptors on DA neurons been shown to be modulated by long-term ethanol exposure. We have previously demonstrated that VTA GABA neurons also express D2 receptors, and that DA and D2 receptor agonists markedly enhance the excitability of VTA GABA neurons, opposite to their well-known inhibition of DA neurons. Most importantly, D2 receptor antagonists block ethanol inhibition of VTA GABA neurons and D2 receptor expression in VTA GABA neurons down-regulates with chronic ethanol. This study evaluates short-term D2 receptor adaptation in VTA GABA neurons and in DA release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) by acute ethanol. In electrophysiology studies in anesthetized rats, periodic iontophoretic application of DA, or the D2 agonist quinpirole, markedly enhanced VTA GABA neuron firing rate, which was initially inhibited by ethanol, but resulted in latent and marked rebound excitation 30-60 min following injection. Using fast scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV), we evoked DA signals in the core of the NAc by electrical stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle at the level of the lateral hypothalamus (60 Hz, 24 pulses). Intraperitoneal (IP) administration of ethanol (1.0-3.0 g/kg) dose-dependently decreased the amplitude of the MFB-evoked NAc DA signal. IP administration of the D2 antagonist eticlopride (1 mg/kg) markedly increased (250%) the amplitude of the evoked DA signal. When ethanol was administered after eticlopride it increased the amplitude of the DA signal an additional 42%. These findings suggest that ethanol induced decreases in evoked DA release may be due to autoreceptor feedback. Work is in progress to evaluate the short-term expression of D2 receptors in VTA GABA neurons following acute ethanol and to evaluate the effects of ethanol-induced short and long-term adaptations in VTA GABA neuron D2 expression in mediating ethanol effects on DA release in the NAc.

Tamara Fox, Weber State University Life Sciences Clostridium botulinum has been implicated in cases of infant botulism across the United States. It is recommended that infants under the age of one year not be fed honey because of the presence of C.botulinum spores. The goal of this project is to determine whether honey produced in small and large apiaries in Utah contain varying amounts of toxin producing C. botulinum. Honey samples will be collected from hives maintained in Utah and tested for the presence of toxin producing strains of C. botulinum. Samples will be dissolved and centrifuged to isolate the spores and then superheated to release the DNA. Testing will then be done through a multiplex polymerase chain reactions (PCR) using primers specific for 16s rRNA, Clostridia species, and toxins A, B, E, and F. The presence and type of toxin producing Clostridia species will be compared with a Chi-Squared Test of Independence. Research will be completed by February of 2014 and we expect small apiaries will have a lower frequency of toxin producing C. botulinum strains than large apiaries and that toxin phenotype will vary between the two groups. The results will increase understanding on the variance of C. botulinum in Utah honey and will contribute to further research on this topic.

Ashley Nelson, Brigham Young University Life Sciences The motivational effects of opiates and ethanol switch from a dopamine (DA)-independent to a DA-dependent pathway when the animal is in a drug-dependent state. A corresponding change occurs in ventral tegmental area (VTA) GABA(A) receptors in opiate-dependent animals, which switch from a GABA-induced hyperpolarization of VTA GABA neurons to a GABA-induced depolarization. The aim of this study was to evaluate VTA GABA neuron excitability, GABA synaptic transmission to VTA GABA neurons and GABA-mediated DA release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) under ethanol-naïve and dependent conditions. To accomplish these studies, we used standard whole-cell and attached-cell mode electrophysiological techniques to evaluate acute and chronic ethanol effects on VTA GABA neurons in GAD GFP mice, which enabled the visual identification of GABA neurons in slice preparation. In naïve animals, superfusion of ethanol (IC50 = 30 mM) and GABA(A) receptor agonist muscimol (IC50 = 100 nM) decreased VTA GABA neuron firing rate in a dose-dependent manner. Compared to saline-injected controls, in animals made dependent on ethanol by twice daily injections of 2.0 g/kg ethanol, neither ethanol nor muscimol significantly affected VTA GABA neuron firing rate on average. We and others have found that ethanol decreases DA release at terminals, as measured by fast scan cyclic voltammetry. We have recently reported that ethanol inhibition of DA release at terminals in the NAc of ethanol-naïve animals is mediated by GABA, possibly from VTA GABA neurons that project to the NAc. We evaluated the effects of ethanol on DA release in the same ethanol-dependent animals. Compared to controls, superfusion of ethanol did not significantly affect DA release. Together, these findings suggest that VTA GABA neurons undergo a switch in GABA(A) receptor function with chronic ethanol, which results in a corresponding switch in DA release, perhaps resulting from adaptations in VTA GABA neuron input to the NAc.

Robyn Kira Omer, Utah Valley University Life Sciences Peak density, which is the number of peaks and valleys in a specified spectral range of high-frequency (HF) ultrasound, correlates to breast pathology in lumpectomy specimens. It has been a question in both previous and current studies, however, whether the thickness of a sample has an independent effect on the peak density. The objective of this study was to discover any correlation, if any, between specimen thickness and peak density in HF ultrasound measurements (10-100 MHz). Phantoms were fabricated from a mixture of water, gelatin, and soluble fiber. Polyethylene microspheres (180-212 micrometer diameter) were embedded into half of the phantom specimens at 0.0003% concentration to simulate tissue heterogeneity. The other phantoms were devoid of microspheres to provide control measurements. Seventy two pitch-catch measurements were acquired in triplicate using 50-MHz transducers, a HF pulser-receiver, and a 1-GHz digital oscilloscope. The waveforms were analyzed to provide spectra and the resulting peak densities were determined. The results indicate that no significant correlation exists between specimen thickness and peak density. The coefficients of correlation for the microsphere and control specimens were 0.366 and 0.652, respectively. The peak density values were most consistent within the control specimens, ranging from 1 to 4. The peak densities for the microsphere phantoms had a greater range of values, varying from 1 to 8. It is believed that the wide variation in peak density for the microsphere phantoms was due to clustering of the microspheres. Future studies will include looking at previous phantom and tissue studies to further investigate the apparent lack of thickness-peak density correlation.

Kristin Walker, Utah State University Health The purpose of this study was to quantify the efficacy of a six-week aquatic treadmill exercise program on measures of pain, balance, mobility, and muscle thickness. Three participants (age = 64.5 ± 10.2) with knee OA completed a six-week exercise training intervention. Outcome measures, collected before (pre) and after (post) the six-week intervention, included visual analog scales for pain, posturography for balance, a 10 m walk test for mobility, and ultrasound for muscle thickness. The exercise protocol included balance training and high-intensity interval training (HIT) in an aquatic treadmill using water jets to destabilize while standing and achieve high ratings of perceived exertion (14-19) while walking. Expected results include, reduced joint pain (pre = 50.3 ± 24.8 mm versus post = 15.8 ± 10.6 mm), improved balance (equilibrium pre = 66.6 ± 11.0 versus post = 73.5 ± 7.1), and mobility (walk pre = 8.6 ± 1.4 s versus post = 7.8 ± 1.1 s) after participating in the exercise protocol (p = 0.03-0.001). We expect that aquatic treadmill exercise that incorporates balance and HIT training will be well tolerated by patients with OA and may be effective at managing symptoms of OA.

Braden Hancock, Brigham Young University Engineering In Evolutionary Multi-objective Optimization (EMO), the mechanism of epsilon-dominance has received a lot of attention because of its ability to guarantee convergence near the Pareto frontier and maintain diversity among solutions at a reasonable computational cost. The main weakness of this mechanism is its inability to also identify and exploit knee regions of the Pareto frontier, which are frequently the regions of the frontier that are most interesting to the user. Many attempts have been made to resolve this issue, but each has resulted in either decreased computational efficiency or slower convergence. We therefore propose a new mechanism – Lamé-dominance – as a replacement for epsilon-dominance in EMO. The geometry of the Lamé curve naturally supports a greater concentration of solutions in directions of high tradeoff between objectives. This adaptable resolution of solutions in knee regions of the Pareto frontier will result in significant savings in time and money for complex optimization routines in large n-objective design scenarios.

Raymond Bilodeau, Brigham Young University Engineering Extreme piezoresistivity was discovered in a silicone/nickel nanostrand (silicone/NiNs) nanocomposite. A quantum mechanical tunneling percolation model has been developed which bridges the gap between quantum effects at the nanoscopic scale and bulk material response at the macroscopic scale. To further improve on this theory, a measurement technique was adapted for use in measuring the average distance (in nm) between the NiNs in the silicone matrix. The measurements produced strong correlation to newly developed theories on the nature of the nickel-silicone interaction. The predictions of the previously developed model were also compared to these new experimental measurements and the model is being adapted to more accurately represent the real data.

David Lindell, Brigham Young University Engineering Current ion detector technologies require low pressures and temperatures to achieve high sensitivity. These extra constraints result in bulky or expensive ion detection units and make a highly-portable mass spectrometer difficult or impractical to produce. A new ion detector technology that is unhampered by such constraints would allow the construction of miniaturized mass spectrometers. Such devices would have a myriad of potential applications, including use in space probes, on-site chemical weapon analyses, and in-field forensics. This research has produced solid-state ion detection devices with detection levels in the hundreds-of-ions range. The detectors are produced on a printed circuit board, are inexpensive, and are functional at room temperature and pressure. Solid-state detection capabilities were realized by adopting concepts from modern non-volatile (flash) memory and using custom-made low capacitance MOSFETs. Detection occurs as ions impact a Faraday cup and charge the gate of a MOSFET, yielding a voltage change in the circuit. In addition to refinements made by incorporating low-capacitance MOSFETs, commercial MEMS switches (which have only recently become available) are used to produce ion counts at rates up to 30 kHz. Amplification and filtering circuitry has also been added to further increase sensitivity levels. Results of this research show that ion detectors can be reduced in size and complexity, making a portable mass spectrometer more viable.

Bradley Hackett, Utah Valley University Engineering The Arduino microcontroller is very robust and is capable of performing a wide variety of functions to fit the needs of almost countless different projects. Many robots that are being built use a microcontroller, and the Arduino microcontroller is a good fit for many robots. The microcontroller is also standardized so it can be learned easily, and maintained easily as well, especially in a team environment. The simplicity of the Arduino offers a much more accessible design and development environment. This environment allows for very complex projects such as robotics to be approached in a manageable way. The SERA Bot is a robot which is designed efficiently and yet still has complexity, using the Arduino microcontroller. The S.E.R.A Bot is an acronym which stands for Searching Exploring Roaming Autonomous robot. The first task this robot can do is to communicate over Bluetooth to an Android tablet or phone to remotely control the robot by driving the motors or sending command signals to the Arduino microcontroller. The next task it is capable of is to use Light Dependant Resistors or LDRs to follow a light source or find the most brightly illuminated area of a room. The third task is object avoidance which is implemented using a simple ultrasonic distance sensor to detect if there is an object close in front of the robot. The last function of this robot is the ability to locate a beacon which emits a loud detectable sound, and is implemented using three amplified condenser microphones. The purpose behind this project is mainly to incorporate many simple functions to one robot. Many robots do one simple task, but the focus is to create a versatile robot, with enough complexity to be useful, but simple enough to be efficient.

Zola Adjei, Brigham Young University Engineering The research project is aimed at developing a tool to monitor the progress of rehabilitation efforts in Lake Malheur in Harney count, Oregon. The application of remote sensing techniques, which will be used to detect chlorophyll-a distribution from water algae growth in the lake. Concentrations of chlorophyll-a act as an indicator for algal blooms, which compete for nutrients and oxygen and can have significant detrimental effects on a body of water. To better identify the trend in growth activities of algal colonies, remote sensing will be effective in developing a model to map the path and region of high activities of algal growth and subsequently monitoring fish habitation on the entire Malheur Lake. The method uses satellite images which measure the reflectance of pigment concentrations, which can then be quantified as concentrations of chlorophyll-a using appropriate software and algorithms. The algorithms are based on relationships between the chlorophyll-a concentration measured in-situ and the reflectance measured in the satellite images. The algorithm that would be tested relies on the ratio of suitable bands in the electromagnetic spectrum. The Oregon Fish and Wildlife services have set preliminary actions by taking chlorophyll measurements earlier this year that will be used to help draw the relationship between the measured and satellite derived chlorophyll-a concentrations. There exists a research group in the Civil and Environmental engineering department that have employed this process on the Deer Creek lake in Utah and other surrounding water bodies which has shown successful outcomes in monitoring these lake’s water quality parameters including chlorophyll-a to help support the survival of fishes, restore their habitats and preserve cultural history. There will be a comparison done to the performance of remote sensing models in a large, shallow lake in Oregon, compared to models developed in deep, narrow lakes.

Stephanie Mitts, Weber State University Engineering The recent development of rainwater harvesting (RWH) as a local government and individual property owner solution to stormwater management and water supply has led to a wide array of individual program implementations across the country. RWH involves collecting stormwater runoff, storing it and applying it for beneficial reuse or release at a controlled rate. Decreased need of freshwater withdrawals reduces hydrology based energy consumption and protects ecosystems, potentially making RWH a more sustainable and efficient practice than centralized water supply. The goal of this research project was to compile and analyze the national trends for local government urban rainwater harvesting program policy. A survey was created and administered to RWH managers across the country to collect U.S. policy information. This report contains information to be used as a guide for local governments and other institutions considering implementing a program to promote RWH.

Jake Seiter, University of Utah Engineering Mining has always been among the most hazardous of occupations, and with the increasing demand for coal and minerals, safety in mines assumes even greater importance. Worldwide, underground miners are being exposed to noise and respirable dust hazards associated with roof bolt drilling. These hazards are now being understood to cause irreparable damage to the health of miners.

Christopher Hutchings, Brigham Young University Engineering The biocatalysis industry has been rapidly expanding due to the fact that there has been a greater demand for ecologically friendly manufacturing processes. The benefit of biocatalytic systems is that it enables stereo-, chemo-, and regio- specificity in chemical manufacturing. This in turn reduces wasteful byproducts from chemical manufacturing. This is especially valuable in industries where removal of chemically similar but physically harmful waste products is essential. The problem with the traditional biocatalytic processes is that they are hindered from limitations in areas such as enzyme stability, leaching, recoverability, and reusability. These limitations significantly impede the cost-effectiveness of biocatalysis for industrial applications. The processes of enzyme immobilization like adsorption, entrapment, and other such forms of immobilizations provide improvements such as stability, recoverability, and reusability. Though they provide improvements they also go through enzyme leaching, complicated or even toxic conjugation procedures and have a lack of specificity to attachment location from. This ends in being counterintuitive and defeats the purpose of enzyme immobilization. It is here we start to build upon the recent advancements in unnatural amino acid and incorporating them into enzymes to demonstrate a biocompatible and covalent enzyme immobilization process that improves protein stability and enables attachment orientation control. This system we refer to as the Protein Residue-Explicit Covalent Immobilization for Stability Enhancement or PRECISE system, and it permits the covalent attachment of enzymes at potentially any location on the enzyme onto a surface. Using this process, we create reusable enzymes that are more stable and more resistant to harsh conditions. We have also concluded from this process that there is no leaching and increased stability from immobilization with the enzyme with satisfactory results in enzyme activity.

Jeffery Nielson, Brigham Young University Engineering Annually, 500,000 US inhabitants suffer from end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Allogeneic transplantation struggles with few donors and the high risk of organ rejection. Decellularized kidneys reseeded with autologous cells present a promising solution. Proposed decellularization methods require long times or high flow rates that may damage extracellular matrices’ (ECMs’) native architecture and lead to implantation thrombosis. We aim to optimize decellularization to preserve ECM integrity for subsequent recellularization and reimplantation.

Michael Borgholthaus, Brigham State University Engineering This paper seeks to demonstrate the simulated gain characterization of MOS transistors in different regions of channel inversion on silicon. In the weak region of MOSFET inversion a constant value of gain is observed. When current is increased and the device determined to be strongly inverted the gain falls off with the square of k/L from this constant gain. Between the weak and strong inversion regions is the moderate inversion region. In the moderate inversion region the gain rises above the constant weak inversion value before falling off as the channel becomes strongly inverted. If biased to low or moderate inversion, amplifying circuits can achieve higher gain performance at low currents than could be achieved in the typical strong inversion region.

Christopher Burns, Brigham Young University Engineering People around the world suffer from degenerative diseases of the retina that can eventually lead to blindness, including age-related macular degeneration. The human retina does not regenerate spontaneously, increasing the severity and long-term effects of these diseases. Currently, a highly-successful treatment for degenerative diseases of the retina doesn’t exist. Some attempts at retinal regeneration have slowed or stopped degeneration (Lanza). However, restoration of sight to its pre-diseased state requires regeneration of retinal tissue, not simply impedance of degeneration.

Cameron Bell, Brigham Young University Engineering 72-hour emergency kits are often inadequately equipped; they lack means to treat water or cook food, compromising chances of survival in an extended critical situation. Dr. Jones and I aim to develop a foldable, lightweight biomass cookstove to solve this problem.

Daniel Smith, Brigham Young University Engineering Although it is known as a graceful sport, figure skating can take a serious toll on skaters’ bodies. Considering that figure skaters commonly train five days per week, with 50-100 jumps per day, it is not surprising that repetitive stress injuries are a serious issue in figure skating. Because the forces associated with these jumps are poorly understood (including their magnitudes, loading rate, and when they occur) training plans designed to prevent injury are incapable of preparing athletes to best avoid their negative effects.

Mark Lindsay, Brigham Young University Engineering The protein production industry which creates vaccines, cancer drugs, and enzymes for chemical manufacturing and biocatalysis has revenue of over $160 billion a year. However, there are several significant protein production obstacles: high production costs exacerbated by difficulties with protein purification, retention, and stability. By better understanding protein structure and function we can resolve these issues. However, traditional methods of studying protein structure and function are costly and time consuming, taking several days to even a week to study one or a few sites. We have developed a process to study up to potentially hundreds of sites simultaneously in a matter of hours.

Todd Davis, Brigham Young University Engineering Oil shale is a sedimentary rock containing about 10% oil hydrocarbons. The United States has about 4 trillion barrels of oil in large regions of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. The hydrocarbons can be extracted by heating the shale to about 1000 F. This requires excessive amounts of energy, making it difficult to extract more energy than is consumed. We are researching a method to reuse or recycle the thermal energy of the heated shale back into the whole process, increasing the efficiency. This method is analogous to co-current or counter-flow heat exchangers in fluid flow. We are currently researching counter-current flow. To accomplish this we designed our retort (high heat kiln) to move the oil shale through a series of baffles. As it flows, the shale is heated and the oil is extracted as it becomes a vapor. A vacuum pump extracts this energy rich vapor out of the retort where it is condensed into a liquid oil. Meanwhile, the heated inert rock of the shale is returned adjacent to the incoming cold shale (counter-current heat exchange). This proximity of heated shale to cold shale allows the thermal energy to be transferred. 80% of the sensible heat has been recovered in our research. As stated above, the whole mechanism for this process is a rotating retort (kiln). The retort is about a 1 meter in length and ½ a meter in diameter. The kiln, on its small scale, can process about 5 tons oil shale/day. This comes to be about 85 gal Oil/day or 1.5 barrels/day.

LeGrand Shumway, Brigham Young University Engineering Ion traps are widely used in the field of mass spectrometry. These devices use high electric fields to mass-selectively trap, eject, and count the particles of a material, producing a mass spectrum of the given substance. Because of the usefulness of these devices, technology pushes for smaller, more portable ion traps for field use.

Christopher Werner, Brigham Young University Engineering Preparation of DNA linear expression templates (LET) via Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is significantly faster than procurement of DNA via cell growth and plasmid purification. Unfortunately, linear templates have not consistently achieved protein yields comparable to plasmids in cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS). Possible reasons for lower LET yields were investigated by producing a number of different extracts. Extracts were differentiated by varying harvest time after induction and modifying the extract preparation procedure. These extracts were tested with py71 sfGFP plasmid (producing a reporter protein) and LET’s created through PCR from the same plasmid. Protein yields obtained by fluorescence measurement were plotted against combined tRNA and rRNA amounts obtained through DNA electrophoreses and densitometry. A correlation was seen between tRNA and rRNA amounts and a normalized LET yield (LET yield divided by the plasmid yield under identical conditions). We considered two reasons for this correlation. First, the increased tRNA and rRNA indicated and increase in the concentration of cell translation machinery present, which increased the kinetics of the reaction, allowing LET’s to produce protein quicker before degradation by Deoxyribonucleases (DNAse). Second, the increased tRNA and rRNA amounts acted as a shield for mRNA from Ribonucleases, allowing more of the mRNA to be translated before LET’s were degraded by DNAse’s. Further work must be done to verify the accuracy of this correlation, as well as to determine the cause for increased LET yields in extracts with higher tRNA and rRNA amounts.

Josephine Bastian, Brigham Young University Engineering 3D immersive visualization systems, or CAVEs™, have found wide adoption for use in geosciences, planetary science, medical research, and computer science. However, much of the potential for such systems in practical civil and environmental engineering settings has been severely limited due to 1) extreme costs in both hardware and software; 2) immobility due to calibration and darkroom requirements; and 3) extensive and expensive manpower requirements for both operation and maintenance. This project presents the development and testing of a new mobile low-cost immersive stereo visualization system – the “VuePod” – that attempts to address these challenges through the use of commercial-off-the-shelf technologies, open source software, consumer-grade passive 3-D television monitors, an active tracking system, and a modular construction approach. The VuePod capitalizes on recent functional advancements and cost decreases in both hardware and software and is demonstrated herein as a viable alternative to projector-based walk-in CAVEs and their limitations. A description of the hardware and its assembly, software and its configuration, and the modular structural system is presented as well as results from several benchmark computation and visualization tests.

Mitchel Faulkner, Brigham Young University Engineering Introduction

Cameron Rogers, Brigham Young University Engineering The mechanical properties of materials are greatly influenced by their microstructure. Grain boundaries, part of the microstructure, effect mechanical properties and the manufacturing of crystalline solids. Grain boundaries in nickel have been shone to be more mobile at temperatures approaching the melting temperature (Olmsted, Holm, and Foiles, 2009). However, little is know about their behavior at low temperatures, and the notion that mobility decreases with decreasing temperature may be incomplete. Using the molecular dynamic simulator LAMMPS (Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator) we are simulating the mobility of 41 Σ3 boundaries in nickel, a face centered cubic (FCC) metal, at various cryogenic temperatures. We have begun to see that these boundaries defy the previously stated notion and move faster with decreasing temperature. Using these molecular simulations we are also investigating the underlying mechanisms for this phenomenon, which could lead to further investigation.

Neil Hinckley, Brigham Young University Engineering Due to the increasing interest in combining the physical and digital world devices which allow users to naturally interact with digital systems are becoming much more important and prevalent. In order to improve upon standard haptic controllers and interfaces we explored compliant haptic devices, which us a compliant member to provide tunable force feedback to users. We were able to produce a prototype device and demonstrate some of the capabilities and advantages of compliant haptic devices.

Ryan Putman, Utah State University Engineering Spider silk possesses superior mechanical properties to most other biological or man-made materials. In particular, research has demonstrated that spider silk is as strong as Kevlar, yet much more elastic. The unique feature of both strength and elasticity naturally piques interest in numerous scientific fields (e.g. medical sutures, automobile seat belts, or athletic performance wear). However, the limiting factors in using spider silk on a commercial scale are the production of sufficient protein product and the ability to do so in a cost-effective manner. An additional challenge is due to the territorial and cannibalistic nature of spiders, which makes harvesting their silk from large “spider farms” an infeasible task. To overcome these limitations, an approach using synthetic biological engineering principles has been employed. This emerging field of study provides a powerful tool, the use of standard biological parts called BioBricks. Using these standard DNA parts, a genetic circuit with the necessary regulatory components was engineered to recombinantly produce a synthetic spider silk protein in the microorganism Escherichia coli, which will provide a more consistent and sustainable source of spider silk than by harvesting directly from spiders. Expression of this recombinant protein has been verified through SDS-PAGE protein gels and subsequent protein immunoblot. The next step is to create a genetic circuit that will be used to secrete the spider silk protein outside of the E. coli bacterium. This could greatly reduce the downstream processing costs associated with protein purification as well as potentially increase overall yield. Therefore, a genetic tag that targets products for secretion has been fused to the spider silk coding regions. Further testing is required to determine the difference in overall protein yield from secreting as opposed to non-secreting strains of the engineered bacteria. Once these values are determined, the production can be optimized and scaled-up.

Bryce Ostler, Utah Valley University Engineering Much of SQL’s power derives from SQL’s declarative rather than procedural nature: a programmer describes the result desired rather than how to produce the result. Systems using SQL must translate SQL’s declarative language into a procedural language in order to execute queries. Relational Algebra (RA) is a procedural language that SQL can be transformed into and executed on a computer using a RA engine. Optimizations are applied to RA code to improve the performance of a translated query. The author of this abstract will present a simple RA engine written in Python and how it has been used as part of a Database Theory course.

Brad Hancock, Brigham Young University Engineering Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis is a reaction used to convert carbon monoxide and hydrogen into high-quality liquid fuels. The reaction takes place in the presence of a cobalt- or iron-based catalyst. An important factor in how well a catalyst works is how highly it is dispersed on a given support. Sugar can be used to increase the viscosity of the impregnation solution to change the dispersion of the cobalt on the alumina support. The present study will determine the effect of adding sugar to the impregnating solution and dispersion of cobalt on the alumina support.

Sean Bedingfield, Utah State University Engineering The delivery of zinc ions using ZnO nanoparticles within the body has been shown to cause the destruction of tumor cells and may also treat neurodegenerative disorders. The silane capping of ZnO nanoparticles is employed as a post-synthesis method to protect them from dissolution in polar solvents. Preliminary research demonstrates standard methods of silane capping result in aggregation of nanoparticles. Aggregation produces particles significantly larger than the original diameter of the nanoparticles, making them too large for some medical applications.

Nathan Bliss, Utah Valley University Health High-frequency (HF) ultrasound in the 20-80 MHz range has recently been found to be sensitive to pathology in tissue margins from breast cancer surgery. In order to improve the resolution and sensitivity of this method, however, transducers need to be employed that have piezoelectric elements that are smaller than those currently in use. The purpose of this study was to determine if similar results can be obtained from small element transducers (Blatek pachyometer, 50 MHz, element diameter < 2 mm) as compared to large element immersion transducers (Olympus NDT, V358-SU, 50 MHz, 6.35-mm diameter active element). Ultrasonic tests were performed on 10 bovine heart specimens of varying surface structure (myocardium, endocardium, and epicardium). Pulse-echo and through transmission measurements using a HF square-wave pulser/receiver (UTEX, UT340) and a digital storage oscilloscope (Agilent, DSOX3104A, 1 GHz, 4 analog channels) were acquired from a total of 2 sites per bovine specimen, first testing all specimens with the large transducers then again with the small transducers. Specimens were marked with India ink for location and accuracy of testing. The density of peaks in the ultrasonic spectra of the large transducers paralleled those of small transducers. Results from HF ultrasonic measurements of bovine heart tissue obtained from large transducers compared to the small transducers indicate that they produce statistically comparable peak densities.

Amy A Fairbrother, Utah Valley University Health Research has shown that high-frequency (HF) ultrasound is capable of detecting structural and biomechanical property changes in tissues and cells at the microscopic level. This capability is currently being tested for the real-time identification of breast tissue pathology in surgical margins during lumpectomies. The objective of this study was to determine if structural and property changes arising in tissue from variations in temperature can be detected by using HF ultrasound. Once a tissue sample is excised from the body, the temperature of the sample decreases rapidly from body temperature to that of the surrounding room temperature. Because of the decrease in heat, the tissue can become more rigid and thus less fluid. These alterations in biomechanical properties can affect HF ultrasonic measurements such as wavespeed and attenuation. These biomechanical changes may also affect the ultrasonic signals sensitive to tissue structure such as the number of peaks in the ultrasonic spectra. The methodology of the research was as follows. Fresh samples of bovine tissue were ultrasonically tested at 3 different temperatures: 37º, 24.5º, and 15º C. Each sample was approximately 7.6 mm thick and 3.8 x 2.5 cm in size. To observe the overall effects of temperature on a sample, the tissue was slowly heated from room temperature to body temperature (37º C) and then tested with HF ultrasound. The sample was then cooled back down to room temperature (24.5º C) and tested again using HF ultrasound. Lastly, the sample was cooled further to 15º C and again tested using HF ultrasound. Ultrasonic waveforms were collected using 50-MHz pitch-catch and pulse-echo measurements. The data was then analyzed to determine changes in wavespeed, attenuation, and spectral peak density with temperature. Results from the study will be presented and discussed with respect to the improvement of HF ultrasound procedures for testing tissue samples.

Matthew Wood, Brigham Young University Health Anatomy Academy (AA) is a recently developed school based educational program for fifth graders that uses college age students as small group mentor educators. This program aims to combat child obesity by improving the children’s understanding of nutrition, anatomy, exercise, and healthy behaviors. Our study specifically aimed to evaluate the impact of this mentoring opportunity on student nurses. As the largest population of healthcare workers, nurses play an essential role in patient and family education, especially in well populations. As healthcare costs increase, it will be increasingly important for nurses to actively participate in prevention efforts that empower individuals to develop healthy lifestyles. Currently, there exists a paucity of opportunities for student nurses to practice providing this health teaching to well populations and a lack of research literature on the subject. Anatomy Academy is one of these opportunities and our hypothesis is that there will be positive changes in the self-perceived abilities of the student nurses. After identifying undergraduate nursing students engaged in AA, we collected pre and post (5 scale Likert) surveys asking the nurses to rate their self-perceived ability of their skills to 1) adapt the message to the level of audience understanding, 2) communicate basic physiological concepts, 3) teach and model the link between concepts and health behaviors, 4) empower children toward healthy decisions, and 5) collaborate with organizations, like elementary schools, toward a common goal of helping children maintain healthy BMI and habits. A demographic survey and weekly reflective journals were also collected. Our results found statistically significant results in every perceived skill and we conclude that mentoring opportunities for student nurses in programs like AA improve their confidence and ability to communicate in a nursing role. We recommend that similar opportunities be included in the curriculum of all undergraduate nursing programs.

Percy Segura, Utah Valley University Health High frequency (HF) ultrasound has been investigated for the detection of breast cancer in surgical samples, and has shown correlations to histology including precursors to cancer development. It is hypothesized that the sensitivity of HF ultrasound to breast cancer is due to changes in the microscopic structure of the tissue. With this approach, better diagnosis of breast cancer can be achieved for purposes such as the assessment of surgical margins in lumpectomy procedures. The microscopic structure of the tissue affects HF waves as they pass through the tissue. These structures can therefore be recorded and distinguished by the HF ultrasound. HF ultrasound will show differentiation between healthy tissue, benign pathologies such as hyperplasia, and advanced cancerous formation. With continuing development, variables are being studied which may skew or produce artifacts in the HF ultrasound results.

Micelle Reed, University of Utah Health For patients with medically intractable epilepsy, a neurological disorder characterized by seizures that are unable to be controlled with medication, surgical resection of the seizure generating zone is necessary to obtain seizure freedom. Intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) is used for determining areas for resection when noninvasive techniques fail to pinpoint a specific area. High frequency oscillations (HFOs), observed through iEEG, are successful biomarkers for the seizure generating zones and are more localized to the source of seizures than areas of propagation. The most common method for determining HFO occurrence lies in expert epileptologist interpretation of the iEEG data, although this method is limited to small data sets and the expertise of the doctor. This study uses the signal processing techniques of spectrogram analysis and continuous waveform transforms to find high frequency content in sampled patient data. Through the use of Friedman’s Tests, statistical difference between channels is determined and subsequent Wilcoxon signed-rank tests are performed to find the channels with statistically greater high frequency content. This allows for an unbiased, automated determination of seizure generating channels. Localization of the seizure generating area can be decided because of the 1-1 correspondence between the channel signal and macroelectrode placement on the brain. If functional mapping reveals the cost of resection of that area of the brain to be less than the benefit of reduction in seizure activity, surgery will be performed. Through the determination of the true seizure generating zone, surgical resection will lead to the best patient outcome of potential seizure freedom and improved quality of life.

Kevin Crockett, Utah Valley University Health Purpose

Teresa Wilson, Utah Valley University Health A critical issue in breast conservation surgery (lumpectomy) for breast cancer treatment is ensuring the tissue surrounding the excised tumor, the margins, are cancer-free. In collaboration with the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, students from Utah Valley University are using high-frequency (HF) ultrasound to test the pathology of lumpectomy surgical margins. This pre-clinical study is a blind study which will involve 80 patients, approximately 320 specimens, and use traditional pathology as the “gold standard” for measuring the HF ultrasound method’s accuracy. Ultrasonic waveforms of margins were acquired at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital in pitch-catch and pulse-echo modes using 50-MHz, 6.35-mm diameter transducers. The data were analyzed to obtain ultrasonic parameters such as wavespeed, attenuation, specimen thickness and spectral peak density (the number of peaks and valleys in a HF ultrasonic spectral band). The objective of this paper is to search for trends in the data acquired to date to provide an assessment of reliability, stability, and robustness of the study.

Tyler Navarro, Utah Valley University Health PURPOSE: An Exercise Science class homework assignment revealed that a significant majority of the Exercise Science majors were Kinesthetic vs. Visual or Auditory learners. The researchers were curious what learning styles other fields of study had and if, like Exercise Science, other fields of study were dominated by one learning style or another. The purpose of this study was to identify the percentage of different learning styles of majors in various fields of study at UVU. Our hypothesis is that each field of study, by its very nature, would be lead by > 50% of the percentage points by one learning style over the others.

Talmage Wood, University of Utah Health One of the challenges facing emergency room physicians is the number of tests and procedures to be performed on patients who present with chest pain but had negative initial findings. Since heart disease ranks as the leading cause of death in the United States, hospitals have protocols to monitor patients for a period of time before discharging them. At the University Of Utah’s Emergency Department our monitoring protocol was adjusted over a year ago to mandate consultation with a cardiologist for any and all chest pain patients being observed due to negative findings, whereas prior to the adjustment patients were monitored and consulted by normal emergency room physicians or advanced care providers.

Tyler Harris, Brigham Young University Health Background

Bradley Weaver, University of Utah Health High-grade gliomas, especially glioblastoma (GBMs, WHO Grade IV), are the most common primary brain tumors in humans. Despite recent advances in molecular targeted therapies for cancer, there has been little progress in treatment of GBMs. Median patient survival after diagnosis is dismal: approximately 12 months. Hypoxia is a key clinical marker of GBMs, which contain pockets of necrotic and hypoxic regions within the solid tumor mass. The transcription factors in the Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF) family are the master regulators of the cellular response to hypoxia. Their downstream targets include compounds that promote angiogenesis, increase glycolysis, and inhibit apoptosis. Recent research has identified glioma stem cells (GSCs) surviving within the hypoxic microenvironment, and has implicated HIF1α as a potential regulator of the GSC phenotype. GSCs are thought to promote therapeutic resistance and recurrence of GBMs after surgical resection. Clarifying the role of HIF1α in glioma stem cell dynamics is important for targeting both the tumor cells and their environment in new treatment. It is expected that GSC populations with more aggressive phenotypes will express higher levels of HIF1α and have higher proliferation rates under acute hypoxia. In this study, the HIF1α levels and proliferation dynamics of multiple, unique GSC cell lines are investigated. Cell lines used include two GSC lines isolated from primary patient tumors (NSC20/23) and a stem cell enriched high-grade glioma line. Preliminary results suggest that not all populations of GSCs respond the same way to hypoxic stress, and HIF1α may play a central role in stem cell dynamics, but not in the growth of non-stem tumor cells. Probing further into this relationship will increase our understanding of how brain tumors behave, and how to more effectively target them in patients. Further data and conclusions from this project will be available at the time of presentation.

Tyler Harris, Brigham Young University Health Background

Andrea Quiroz, Utah Valley University Health The stimulation and inhibition of tissue vascularization has important applications to tissue engineering and oncology. Approaches to quantitatively evaluate neovascularization in vivo in adult animals with differentiated tissue include both invasive methods that use an implanted or injury-induced matrix in the study organism, or noninvasive small animal imaging methods such as MRI, CT, and PET. The objective of this study was to determine if ultrasonic spectra in the 10-100 MHz range could be used as an in vivo neovascularization assay. Numerical simulations and phantoms were used as model systems to test the feasibility of the approach. The simulations modeled ultrasonic scattering from microscopic vascular networks using randomly oriented cylinders to represent blood vessels and cylindrical wave functions to represent ultrasonic waves. Phantoms were fabricated from a gelatin-soluble fiber mixture and agarose gel. The agarose gel was embedded in the gelatin-fiber in order to simulate vascular tissue. Ultrasonic tests were performed using two broadband ultrasonic transducers centered at 50 MHz. Pitch-catch data were collected and analyzed by calculating the peak density of the ultrasonic frequency spectrum, which is the number of peaks and valleys in the spectrum (a measure of the spectrum’s complexity). Control specimens were tested to determine the differences in the sound wave properties between the gelatin-fiber and the agarose gel. The controls demonstrated the instrument’s ability to differentiate between the two types of material. Measurements of agarose inclusions in the gelatin-fiber showed a significantly higher peak density than those for the control gelatin-fiber. These results indicate that the agarose gel structures are scattering sound to a greater extent than the gelatin-fiber alone. The results thus far have provided a strategy for proceeding with the project in the future. The phantoms will be refined and made more realistic to produce an adequate mimic for vascular tissue.

Jorgen Madsen, Utah State University Health The gold standard in purification of influenza virus is by means of ultracentrifugation. Although effective, this process is very expensive and thus impractical for developing countries. We hypothesize that column chromatography can be a cost efficient alternative that is as effective as ultracentrifugation. If correct, this method of purification could revolutionize vaccine production in third world countries. We tested the purification ability of column chromatography by comparing two different chromatography resins. The Capto Q resin separates proteins on the basis of protein charge. The Capto 700 resin separates proteins on the basis of both size and charge. Samples following chromatography were collected, and evaluated for virus specific proteins as well as total protein content. After chromatography selected samples were evaluated by electrophoresis to determine protein separation. Although it is evident that some protein separation occurred, the results are inconclusive and suggest more testing.

Brooke Wahlquist, Brigham Young University Health Exposure to the house dust mite (HDM) allergens Der p 1 and Der f 1 has been implicated in the development and exacerbation of asthma, the leading chronic disease among children in the U. S. Indoor relative humidity (RH) is the most important determinant of HDM growth in homes. HDM populations reach a maximum size at 85% RH but can survive at RH levels as low as 54 %. The RH in the commonly arid climate of the western U.S. is often below 55%, and as such, HDM exposure in these areas has not been viewed as a significant health concern. However, studies have shown that evaporative coolers, or “swamp coolers”, can increase indoor RH levels enough in arid climates to support HDM growth. In this study, we propose to evaluate the relationship between HDM allergen levels in the home and evaporative cooler use in 46 single family homes in Utah County. Homes will be recruited from among BYU employees based on the age of home as well as type of cooling system used (evaporative cooler (n = 23) vs. central air conditioning (n = 23)). Der p 1 and Der f 1 will be measured in homes by reservoir dust and area air sampling. Additionally, continuous RH measurements will be taken in the home over a 72-hour period in order to more fully characterize fluctuations in indoor humidity, and their relationship to HDM concentrations. Samples and RH measurements will be collected up to 3 times in each home over the course of 1 year. Samples will be analyzed in the laboratory using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect Der p 1 and Der f 1, and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect HDM DNA on air sample filters.

Breanne Woodbury, Dixie State University Health In this paper I will be discussing the health impacts of immunizations and how it affects the individual, the family, the community, and society. I will present information from both sides of the argument of immunizations, as well as my own conclusion on this controversial subject. Findings from leading experts in the medical field will be cited, including Dr. Paul Offit, co-inventor of vaccines and one of the most trusted advocates for vaccine safety, as well as award-winning scientific writer Seth Mnookin. Their research on vaccines, specifically the ingredients included in vaccines, possible side effects, and the nonexistent correlation between vaccines and autism, will support my thesis of vaccine safety and the need for immunizations. I will include current scientific studies which reveal the very serious results of a vaccine-free society and discuss the desperate need to change the anti-vaccine mindset. In conclusion, I will re-state, with supporting evidence, why immunization is absolutely crucial and why it plays a key role in the health of our society and in our personal daily living.

Alyssa Lark, Brigham Young University Health The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of a community-based sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) program on sexual assault criminal case outcomes in Salt Lake County, Utah.

Erin Horton, Dixie State University Health OPUNTIA FICUS INDICA: RED BLOOD CELL VIABILITY AND AGGLUTINATION PROPERTIES

Sheri Casey, Utah Valley University Health Justification: According to many studies, low socioeconomics is positively correlated to sports participation. Little research explores the economic relationship correlated with youth sports.