2014 Abstracts

Chelsey Funk, Utah State University Education High school English as a Second Language (ESL) students often feel separated from their schools and communities. These feelings of separation can lead to low engagement and low achievement despite the students’ desire to do well in school. One method used to counter low engagement in mainstream classes is service learning, but there is little research on service learning with ESL students. In this study, an existing group of 9th grade ESL students was taught and observed to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of using service-learning methods. The project endeavored to tie academic work to community involvement and therefore increase student engagement and academic confidence. Throughout the implementation of the service-learning project, students displayed increased classroom involvement and reported improvements in attitudes and self-assurance. The methods and procedures described in this study can be adapted to larger class sizes and a variety of projects in order to increase engagement and academic confidence in ESL students.

John Lorz, Utah Valley University Education How about a 20% increase in the class average on the mid-term exam compared with the previous two academic years of the same course? In this session two students share their experiences as (newly piloted) peer mentors in a low-performing, upper division genetics class. Student attitudes towards genetics improved and both mid-term and final grades increased by double-digit percentages. Not only did these peer mentors increase student success, but also experienced a personal developmental opportunity in preparation for graduate school, including this conference presentation and an anticipated peer-reviewed publication to follow.

Jonathan Welling, Brigham Young University Education The demographic shift of Mexican immigrants within the public school system in the US has created a great need for teachers to better understand the expectations that immigrant families bring with them from their education system in Mexico. This research provides contextual information to educational stakeholders in the US to better accommodate to the needs of immigrant students from Mexico. This study explores the norms, roles and expectations of teachers, parent and students in the education system in Irapuato, Mexico. Data was collected from observations and interviews with teacher, parents and students from three different public high schools in Irapuato, Mexico: CBTis- a technical school, The Official Preparatory School of Irapuato- a standard public school and SABES- a small rural school. Analysis was done using a systematic approach of open coding to identify emergent themes. Preliminary results provide contextual information explaining the expectations parents hold for the teachers in Irapuato, Mexico. The data is valuable in understanding the norms, expectations and perceived roles held immigrant Mexican families. Applications of this data may be used to facilitate both collaboration between teachers and Mexican immigrant parents and the adjustment of immigrant students to a new educational system.

Stone Samantha, Utah State University Education The present study investigated language growth over the course of 3 years for 50 Spanish-English Bilingual children who were learning English as their second language. Children were asked to retell a story in English and in Spanish at 6 time points (before and after Kindergarten, First, and Second Grades). The stories were transcribed and utterances were coded as to whether they contained mazing behaviors such as revisions, false starts and corrections and also coded for the level of syntactic complexity (simple or complex) they contained. Simple sentences contained one main verb, and complex sentences contained two or more main verbs. The presence of mazing is thought to indicate hesitation or difficulty in lexical retrieval and might be expected to occur more in complex than simple sentences. Further, we hypothesized that children would evidence more mazing behaviors in their non-native language (English) than their native language (Spanish). Ultimately, we theorized that children’s use of mazes in English would decrease over time, as they became more proficient in their second language (English). Some of the children were receiving instruction in schools classified as “English Immersion” models, and others were in schools that incorporated a “Transitional” approach to instruction. Results are discussed in terms of current theoretical models of bilingual language acquisition and variations in outcomes as a function of current instructional models.

Shawnie Cram, Dixie State University Education English Language Learners (ELL) are confronted with many challenges such as insufficient language proficiency, lack of content knowledge, and adjusting to a new culture. Classroom teachers make efforts to effectively work with these students so they can become a vital member of the classroom community. However, if there is only one teacher in a classroom, they often do not have the time to assist the ELL at an adequate level. Using the participatory action research approach, this paper examines the ways in which a pre-service teacher can assist the classroom teacher by clearly identifying the goal for the ELL student. The goal set by the classroom teacher for this *ELL student is to reach grade level reading competency by the end of the academic school year. Through comprehensive discussions between the classroom and pre-service teacher, the methods and strategies based on Second Language Acquisition theories were decided to be implemented as tools of instruction. The pedagogy of reading across curriculum in a kindergarten classroom is utilized as the basic mode of instruction as the pre-service teacher and the classroom teacher collaboratively use different methods and strategies. The current data of the action research indicates that in three months, the ELL will reach approaching grade level proficiency with the assistance of the pre-service teacher. By the end of the academic school year, the author anticipates the ELL will demonstrate his reading competency at grade level.

Shadlan Gale, Utah Valley University Education This paper presents ongoing research comparing the learning performance of students using online and electronic textbooks/course content (e-text) for business-related classes versus students using traditional, hard-copy textbooks. In fall 2013, the Woodbury School of Business (WSB) at Utah Valley University (UVU) converted over fifty courses to e-text only. The WSB made this transition in many of its classes for various financial reasons as well as to provide students with a more interactive way of learning course material through the application of the additional learning tools that can only be found within the e-text platforms. In a previously published paper, the authors showed that no statistical difference was found in test scores for students at UVU taking a class which implemented the use of e-text among three different delivery types: live, hybrid, and online. This paper focuses more on discovering if student performance and test scores change by using e-text versus hard-copy textbooks and not in relation to the delivery type of the course.

Shadlan Gale, Utah Valley University Education This paper presents ongoing research to examine faculty experience and attitudes toward the implementation of electronic textbooks/course content (e-text) for college courses. In fall 2013, the Woodbury School of Business (WSB) at Utah Valley University (UVU) converted over fifty courses to e-text only. The WSB made this transition in many of its classes to reduce costs and provide students with more interactive course materials through additional learning tools found within the e-text platforms.

Christopher Green, Utah State University Education Statics is a gateway engineering course. Many students use their performance in a statics course to evaluate and judge their desire to continue within an engineering field. Students’ performance can be adversely impacted by misconceptions they may have regarding class content and analysis techniques. Feedback from instructors can help students navigate through their misconceptions. It is critical that this feedback be concise and timely to prevent a slip in self-efficacy, or an increase in their frustration. Both factors can negatively impact a student’s desire to persist in engineering. Implementation of online learning logs allows students a timely communication avenue that can reveal to the instructor indications of such factors. This study is designed to explore common misconceptions exhibited through learning logs in a pre-professional engineering statics class. Ninety student logs were consensually evaluated in a fall 2013 statics course delivered at Utah State University. A “discourse analysis” technique was used to review learning log data to discover students’ trouble areas within the class. Results indicate typical stumbling areas that students encounter in a statics course and allow insight into specific instruction areas that need to be refined to better deliver content to the class as well as individuals.

Jessica Hill, Utah Valley University Education The transition to junior faculty member can be difficult for graduate students (Sorcinelli, 1992). Despite significant teaching requirements for most assistant professor positions, many graduate programs minimize teaching experiences. Due to this climate, the developmental process of novice graduate instructors is poorly understood (McKeachie & Svinicki, 2010). We investigated the utility of the Teacher Behavior Checklist (TBC), a measurement tool developed by studying master teachers (Buskist et al., 2002), as a means to evaluate classroom performance of first-time and novice graduate instructors (GIs).

Skylar Larsen, Utah Valley University Education In science education, greater learning gains have been associated with engaged learning strategies over traditional lecture formats. This approach facilitates development of higher-order cognitive skills (HOCS; critical thinking and application of knowledge) which are not only imperative for all successful scientists but necessary for every citizen functioning in our society. Development of these HOCS, however, is not accomplished in some classrooms due to lack of alignment of learning objectives and evaluation, or lack of assessment of these skills entirely. Specifically, we asked how do learning goals and objectives align with assessments, and are learning gains on HOCS better achieved by students in more aligned classrooms tested with higher-cognitive level assessments?

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.

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.

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

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.

Tyler Harris, Brigham Young University Health Background

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.

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.

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.

Arthur Castleton, Brigham Young University Engineering More than one in three people die because of organ failures such as congestive heart failure. The major issues of heart transplants include a scarcity of donors, immunorejection and blood clot formation. Over the last decade bioartificial organs have emerged as a potential alternative to traditional transplantation because they eliminate the need for immunosuppressants, DNA testing, and the use of another human’s organs. In this study an economic, effective, and rapid decellularization process that produces minimal damage to a cardiac extracellular matrix (cECM) is described. In addition, a static blood thrombosis assay was used to verify the effect of exposed cECM on clotting. Also an aorta was recellularized and analyzed.

Rex King, Brigham Young University Engineering The purpose of this research is to use slab coupled optical sensors (SCOS) to take high voltage measurements at high frequencies. Voltage dividers are currently used to take high voltage measurements. However, these voltage measurements are limited to bandwidths up to the range of 1MHz. SCOS sensors are electric field detectors developed by the BYU optics lab which couple light from a D-shaped fiber into a lithium-niobate slab wave guide. This light couples at certain frequencies and the frequencies at which these resonances occur will shift in proportion to the applied electric field. The electric field measurement can be used to measure voltage.

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.

Anthony Bennett, Brigham Young University Engineering Foot Mouth Disease is considered to be the greatest hindrance to livestock trade in the world. The disease is extremely contagious and can transmit via aerosol, food scraps, and through blood, and tears among other transmission routes [1]. Currently, technological challenges hinder eradication efforts due to a wide variety of FMD strains, high vaccine production costs, as well as limited efficacy of vaccines across strains [2]. The countries most affected by the disease also face economic, social, and political challenges to disease eradication. Based upon historical evidence disease eradication has proven to be possible as shown in the US, the UK, and other countries [3]. In this presentation, we highlight these challenges and propose various routes to eradication in order to open up economic opportunities to developing countries as well as eliminating the threat of a disease outbreak in countries currently free of the disease. Morgan, E.R., et al., Assessing risks of disease transmission between wildlife and livestock: The Saiga antelope as a case study. Biological Conservation, 2006. 131(2): p. 244-254. Parida, S., Vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease virus: strategies and effectiveness. 2009. Perry, B. and K. Sones, Poverty reduction through animal health. Science, 2007. 315.

Craig Daniels, Brigham Young University Engineering Martensite is a steel phase that has a body-centered tetragonal crystal lattice. It significantly affects the material properties of steel, particularly hardness and strength. Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) is a microscopy technique that is used to characterize the crystal and grain structure of metals by analyzing diffraction patterns. Martensite is traditionally difficult to identify using EBSD techniques because its diffraction patterns are too similar to the ferrite phase, which is body-centered cubic (BCC). The martensite crystal is modeled as BCC, but with an imposed tetragonal strain. “High resolution” EBSD can reveal the absolute strain of the crystal lattice, and is sensitive enough to measure the strain imposed in the model. This technique uses cross-correlation to compare experimental diffraction patterns to kinematically simulated patterns, and returns the absolute strain tensor. The tensor is rotated into the crystal frame, and the principle strains are used to create a tetragonality index. This tetragonality index can then be used to identify martensite. Further, the lattice parameters of martensite are related to the carbon content. A theoretical tetragonality index can be created using only lattice parameters. If the experimental index can be fitted to the theoretical index, this technique could be used to characterize the carbon content of steel at a sub-grain level.

Nathan Madsen, Brigham Young University Engineering A scatterometer is a type of radar used to measure the backscatter of the earth’s surface. In 2014, NASA will launch a new scatterometer, RapidSCAT, and mount it on the International Space Station (ISS). An integral part of the processing code for RapidSCAT is the X-table. X relates the power received by the scatterometer to the backscatter of the surface. It depends on the antenna, processor, and frequency of the sensor, as well as the sensor’s position, velocity, and attitude. The ISS’s comparatively unstable orbit renders previous methods of X-table generation inaccurate. By incorporating position, velocity, and attitude data from a revolution of the ISS, a table that is accurate for that revolution has been produced. This table can be made accurate for up to 8 revolutions of the ISS, by parametrizing variations in X with another variable. Different methods of estimating the relationship between these variables are attempted. Because the table will have to be recalculated repeatedly through the mission life of the sensor, tradeoffs between accuracy and processing time are explored.

Benjamin Lindsay, Brigham Young University Engineering Current treatments for cancer and diseased tissue often cause severe side effects due to drug interactions with healthy cells. In order to minimize these effects, we are developing a nano-scale near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive drug delivery system based on liposome-encapsulated perfluoropentane (PFC5) emulsions with gold nanorods in the PFC5 phase. The nanorods efficiently convert NIR light to heat, vaporizing the liquid PFC5 emulsions, which have boiling points near body temperature. Emulsion vaporization increases the volume inside the liposome enough to burst the phospholipid bilayer and release encapsulated cargo. This system will allow continuous therapeutic drug release localized at the site of NIR laser irradiation with a low-power, portable NIR laser diode. To date, we have successfully loaded PFC5 emulsions with gold nanorods and have loaded liposomes with PFC5 emulsions. Previous work in our lab has shown that a release to the cytosol of cells can be induced by ultrasound using similar liposomes. Experiments designed to demonstrate NIR laser-induced cargo release are currently in progress. We will continue to improve upon this system over the coming months to increase release and decrease the required laser power.

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.

Jason Ellers, Utah Valley University Engineering Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology is becoming more popular among Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) developers. The ease of development and the maintainability makes FPGAs a very attractive option in many performance and efficiency critical applications. The purpose behind this project was to implement an arcade style game on top of a VGA driver. The project was developed on a Xilinx Spartan-3E Starter board using Verilog, a hardware descriptive language.

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.

Erika Handly, Brigham Young University Engineering The development of an effective treatment for cancer is one of the most important goals for research today. One method of treatment is a targeted delivery mechanism using encapsulating drug carriers paired with a release mechanism. The Pitt laboratory has developed a potent chemotherapeutic called eLipoDox that uses a liposomal delivery construct combined with ultrasound release. eLipodox is composed of a liposome that encases an emulsion and the drug Doxorubicin. The emulsion droplet is a perflourocarbon stabilized by a lipid bilayer that contains a high vapor pressure solvent that will expand and burst the liposome upon sonication. The liposome is an artificially made lipid bilayer membrane that effectively encases the drug and does not allow the drug to diffuse freely through the body. Doxorubicin works through intercalating DNA, or distorting the structure of DNA, which is effective in treating tumors. However, it can cause heart failure and thus can have deathly effects for human patients. Encapsulating Doxorubicin minimizes the effects of Doxorubicin to other parts of the body while increasing the efficiency of the drug. Currently, the efficiency of loading the chemotherapeutic drug into the liposome is only around 34 to 38 percent, which is not ideal due to how expensive the drug is and the labor required to make the carrier. Thus, the purpose of this research was to systematically examine loading parameters and test the optimized carrier on a human cancer cell line. Higher temperature, greater sonication rounds, and lower concentration of drug on the exterior all correlated to greater loading efficiency. Cell death was also demonstrated with the optimized construct.

Varvara Jones, Utah Valley University Engineering Mobile devices are promising tools today to people’s life thanks to lower-cost hardware, steep subsidies from wireless carriers and the popularity of mobile apps. Equipping with touchscreen is the point of fulfillment for all that a mobile device promises to deliver to normal users. However, few mobile devices today have been built that address accessibility and usability of the touchscreen for a wide range of physical capabilities and challenges. In this research, we investigate human capabilities, environmental factors and hardware ergonomics that can improve the usability when people with impairment disabilities use a touchscreen-equipped mobile device.

Shana Black, University of Utah Engineering Goals: The pudendal nerve (PN) was targeted in attempt to create controlled micturition via intrafascicular electrical stimulation (IES) following the onset of surgically induced incontinence. We investigated both the effectiveness of unilateral and bilateral transection of the PN in creating a model of urinary incontinence and the ability of IES of efferent fibers to excite the external urethral sphincter (EUS) in order to restore a controlled voiding pattern. High Density Utah Electrode Arrays (HD-USEAs) were used to provide IES in these studies.

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.

Brittni Carr, Brigham Young University Health Purpose/Aims: To examine religiosity and family hardiness in parents raising children with disabilities (CWD) to determine if there are differences according to parent gender and type of disability and if there is a relationship between the variables.

Andrew Mackay Breivik, Utah Valley University Health The central research question of this project is to determine the reproducibility of high frequency (HF) ultrasonic signals in breast cancer detection. Previous studies on surgical specimens of breast tissue have shown that HF ultrasound (20-80 MHz) appears sensitive to a range of breast pathologies including fibroadenomas, atypical ductal hyperplasia, fibrocystic changes, and carcinomas. A measurement in the ultrasonic signal called the peak density appears most sensitive to the pathology of the breast. The reproducibility of this parameter has not been quantitatively measured in a comprehensive manner. In parallel to a clinical study being conducted at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, we are conducting a laboratory study of the reproducibility of these measurements using chicken and bovine tissue. The ability to reliably determine the pathology of breast tissue with a real-time intra-operative tool would greatly aid in the surgical removal of all malignant tissue, as well as greatly reduce the occurrences of repeat surgeries to remove margins of cancerous tissue that remained. The results of this study will reveal the degree of variability in the signals, thus supplementing previous studies as well as determining the reliability of the results from the current clinical study. The research methodology included the following. Fresh chicken breast and bovine tissue were cut into 4x3x0.5 cm and 4x3x1.5 cm cubes. The tissue was tested at room temperature (23.4oC) using HF ultrasound. Pitch-catch and pulse-echo waveforms were obtained in triplicate measurements of two types: Three measurements with the transducer not leaving the tissue, and three measurements with the transducer lifted off the tissue between measurements. A total of 640 measurements were acquired and analyzed to obtain the spectral peak densities. Preliminary results indicate that the measurements are reproducible to a statistically significant level, thus removing one possible source of uncertainty in the data.

Siena Davis, Brigham Young University Health In the U.S., exposure to radon gas (222Rn) is the second leading cause of lung cancer after tobacco smoke. 222Rn is a naturally occurring environmental carcinogen produced during the radioactive decay of uranium-238, which is found in many soils throughout the U.S. Because 222Rn is a gas, it has the ability to travel through the soil and into homes through cracks in foundation walls. Inhaled 222Rn has the potential to emit alpha radiation in the lungs, and long-term exposure is responsible for approximately 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the U.S. 222Rn is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas, so the only way to know it is in a home is to test for it. Studies show that even in areas with high radon levels, homeowners frequently do not test or mitigate their homes as recommended. This study aims to understand the psychosocial factors that influence whether Utah residents perform radon testing and mitigation. Radon-related lung cancer deaths would be significantly reduced if the psychosocial factors that influence radon testing and mitigation were better understood and used to design and implement effective interventions. To understand the psychosocial factors that influence radon testing, we will survey residents (n = 50) of the county who come to UCHD specifically to purchase a radon test kit. The survey will be based on social cognitive theory (SCT) constructs. We will administer the same survey to a comparison group (n = 50). The comparison group for the study will be individuals who visit UCHD’s office of vital records. Individuals from the study group with indoor radon levels above 4 pCi/L will be contacted by telephone 30 – 60 days after testing to complete a second survey. This survey will measure SCT factors that influence participants’ actions to reduce radon levels in their home.

Ashley Ostler, Southern Utah University Health Research indicates that collegiate athletes may be at risk of developing disordered eating and other distorted behavioral patterns. This may be due, in part, to the aesthetic and performance demands of their sports. The purpose of this study is to discover if female athletes acquire increased negative views towards their body image and food due to the pressures of being a collegiate athlete at Southern Utah University (SUU). An anonymous survey was given to approximately 150 female athletes participating in a variety of sports inquiring about body perception and eating behaviors relative to their sport. The survey evaluates the athlete’s attitude toward food, their relationship with food, if there are outside influences that affect how they eat, and if they are satisfied with their weight. Athletic teams were chosen based on meeting two of the three following requirements: tryouts are held, scholarships are offered, and there are regular competitions or performances. Athletic teams involved in the survey include tennis, volleyball, track & field, cross country, softball, basketball, gymnastics, soccer, drill team, ballroom dance and cheer. The data will provide information regarding Southern Utah University female athlete’s body perceptions and eating behaviors. Results will be compared to a similar study conducted five years ago at SUU.

Josh Lee, Dixie State University Health According to the World Health Organization (2012), health care systems in Central America rank in the top 50% of the 190 ranked countries in the world, yet thousands of people are in need of simple medical attention and supplies every day in these areas. Countries such as Honduras lack virtually all access to health services, with 83% of the country’s population without health insurance, and 30% with no health care access at all (Pearson et al., 2012). To address this issue, a 2013 Dixie State University study conducted by the author, an Integrated Studies major with disciplinary emphases in Spanish and Biology, interviewed fifty adult Central American immigrants at a Southern Utah health care facility with the aim to providing student groups embarking on health service projects a researched list of vitally needed medical supplies. Participants in the study were asked to provide information regarding their health care experiences in their countries of origin and draw upon their comparative experiences with health care in the United States in order to determine areas of need. The forty individuals in this study represented a total of seven Central American countries and the interviews were conducted in Spanish and translated into English. The interviews were conducted over an 8-week period of time and results suggested that diabetes, cold, flu, antibiotics, and anti diarrhea medicines and supplies are a few of the needed health care items in these neighboring countries. Although statistical significance was not a feature of this study due to the number of participants, significant consistencies in responses by former residents of a variety of Central American countries suggested that some medical needs are regionally shared and that larger scale follow-up studies may reliably identify these as key resources for student medical delegations traveling to Central America.

Stephen Clarkson, Brigham Young University Health While there is an abundance of mobile health apps for weight management on the market today, almost all focus entirely on net caloric intake (exercise minus calories consumed). Recording daily caloric intake can be cumbersome, inefficient and inaccurate. One rising suggestion in the health field for reaching weight goals is objectively recording hand-to-mouth movements (HTMMs) during meals throughout the day. This method focuses entirely on portion control and if any improvements are to be made in this area, an effective method of activity recognition must be developed. In this paper, we report our efforts to classify HTMMs and non-HTMMs in an effort to automate counting the number of HTMMs during meals throughout the day. We also report on the performance of several base-level classifiers such as k-NN, Naive Bayes and Decision Trees as well as meta-level classifiers (Voting, Bagging and Boosting).

Wesley Tietjen, Dixie State University Health High risk sexual behaviors, such as having unprotected sex, are a community health concern because of the heightened susceptibility to sexually transmitted diseases. An estimated 19.7 million people are newly infected with a sexually transmitted disease annually. Young people (ages 15-24) account for nearly half of all new incidences (CDC, 2008). Considering these statistics, the author, a Dixie State University Integrated Studies undergraduate student, conducted an interdisciplinary study to determine the correlation between the degree of self-reported religious devotion of Latter Day Saint (LDS) singles and their likelihood of purchasing or using protection during premarital intercourse. Seventy five students attending Dixie State University in Saint George, Utah participated in this study. Participants completed a 15-item survey consisting of questions inquiring how religious they consider themselves and their feelings towards premarital sex. Of the non-married participants who engage in sex, only 28% (n=4) of LDS respondents reported consistent use of birth control, compared to 84% (n=16) of non-LDS individuals. These results are suggestively significant and are consistent with findings from studies conducted by Douglas Kirby (2007) and others who have demonstrated that teaching abstinence, without providing education about birth control methods other than abstinence, leaves individuals unprepared to practice safe sex if the occasion arises. The relevance of the Dixie State University study to previous more broadly conceived research will be presented along with recommendations for future research.

Paydon Newman, Dixie State University Health Several studies (Shepley, 2012; Sherman-Bien, 2011; Walch, 2010) have found that sunlight has a stress-reducing effect on those who are exposed to it. An innovative new design of artificial lighting known as RaLight is proposed to reflect light with a color rendering index nearly identical to natural sunlight. This study will examine the relationship between exposure to RaLight (as a substitute for sunlight) and levels of stress. RaLight is predicted to decrease levels of stress in test subjects. In several hospice facilities, test subjects will consist of an estimated 100 patients both male and female with ages ranging from 65 to 85 years. This research is designed as a single subject experiment (ABA). The initial control condition will be the common indoor environment which exposes patients to standard fluorescent lighting. Replacing light fixtures with RaLight will then establish both the second phase of the experiment and the independent variable. A follow up re-installment of the initial fluorescent lighting will be conducted post-RaLight phase. Throughout each phase, questionnaires regarding the overall well-being of patients will be completed by hospice staff.