2015 Abstracts

Mercedes Sanford, Ryan Pearson, Kate Summers, and Brigid Crotty, Utah State University Education Deficits in complex syntax may not be apparent in stories that children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) create on their own. That is, in self-generated stories, complex syntactic forms are not obligatory in order to get the “message across.” However, in order to create complex stories, those that contain complicating actions and events, complex sentences are unavoidable. Although children with ASD have been said to have typical syntactic skills, it is possible, that this is due to a preference for syntactically simple utterances. The purpose of this study was to examine the syntactic complexity of stories created by 5 children with ASD as they participated in an intervention to improve their narrative skills. Stories were elicited once weekly from single scene picture prompts; recorded, transcribed and then coded for narrative proficiency and syntactic complexity. Results indicated that during baseline when children were not receiving instruction, their self-generated stories contained more simple sentences (75-100%) that contained one main verb as compared to complex sentences (0-25%) that contained two or more main verbs. Their narrative skills during baseline were judged to be below average. Over the course of instruction, children’s narrative skills and their use of complex sentences increased in a similar pattern. Individual differences were observed in the impact that this pattern of change had on children’s verbal fluency and grammaticality. These differences will be discussed in terms of a cognitive load hypothesis.

Kristine Jolley, Brigham Young University Education This research-in-progress examines the role of action research in teacher movement toward reform-based mathematics education during a sustained professional development initiative. This initiative, which provided coursework for the Utah Elementary Mathematics Endorsement (UEME), was implemented as a Brigham Young University/Alpine School District partnership collaboration. Although the UEME is offered at several sites across Utah as a major state professional development initiative in mathematics education, our collaboration was unique in incorporating action research as a major component. We pose and seek to answer the following question: What happens to teachers’ knowledge and theories regarding reform-based mathematics education as they engage in action research on a reform-based mathematics education practice of their choice in their classrooms? We have examined data collected from three cohorts of participants over the 4-year duration of the grant; each participant was involved for 2 years. Of the 53 participants, 12 (4 from each cohort) were purposefully selected according to pre- and post-measures of participants’ mathematics beliefs, knowledge, and practice as well as the dimensions of gender, ethnicity, professional assignment, and years of teaching experience. Qualitative analysis of relevant data from these participants is contributing to our understanding of the role of action research in teacher movement toward reform-based mathematics education. We are currently writing the analysis section of a manuscript based on these data. Recognition of the need for improvement in mathematics teaching and learning is not new, yet implementing the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics adds a new layer of challenge. This in-depth study of action research as a professional development practice should inform decision-making regarding the inclusion of action research in subsequent Endorsement programs as well as in other professional development initiatives. Further, this study should add its own unique contribution to the research conversation on a broader scale.

Jadyn Naylor, Michael Jensen, and Kevin Duncan, Utah State University Education From 2007-2008 the United States and the rest of the world suffered the largest economic downturn since the Great Depression, a period which has been termed the “Great Recession”. This occurred when, as a result of the subprime mortgage crisis, residential and business investment declined, leading to the collapse of several major financial institutions and significant disruption in the flow of credit to businesses and consumers. The contraction of GDP growth and record unemployment that followed inspired congress to pass TARP in 2008, authorizing the US government to purchase $700 billion worth of “troubled” assets. In 2009 President Obama passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to boost demand for goods and services and create jobs. On top of these legislative measures, the Federal Reserve lowered the federal funds rate to nearly zero, to increase liquidity, and gave banks $7.7 trillion in emergency loans to promote market trust. These responses have been said to reflect the federal government’s faith in Keynesian economic theories, theories which encourage government manipulation of currency and interest rates to counteract fluctuations in the economy. Trust in markets to correct themselves is all but nonexistent at the federal level. Whether or not this distrust is justified is the subject of our research. Previous research has found that economic freedom is positively correlated with increases in wealth, education, health, and political freedom. With our research we hope to determine if and how economic freedom affects the speed and robustness with which an economy recovers from economic downturns. Because the United States government is based upon the ideas of federalism, economic policies vary from state to state. We will use this property to our advantage for our research, comparing each state’s level of economic freedom to various measures of that state’s economic health. These data will be analyzed before, during, and after the recession. Our hypothesis is that states with higher economic freedom rankings recovered from the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008 more quickly than states with lower economic freedom scores. To determine the level of economic freedom in each state, we will be using the Economic Freedom of North America ratings published by the Fraser Institute each year. The Fraser Institute measures the extent to which the policies in each state promote or limit economic freedom based on the state’s size of government, tax code, and labor market restrictions. The Fraser Institute does this at both a sub-government level and an all-government level, giving each state two rankings. We will be testing our hypothesis against both rankings. Our methodology is to compare these rankings to several economic variables: Real GDP, percentage unemployment, and number of jobs created per capita. We will be using periodic measurements of these data across time, from 2006 – 2013. In examining the relationship between these variables and the Fraser Institute’s economic freedom rankings we expect to determine whether there is any correlation, at the state level, between economic freedom and quality of economic recovery, and if there is, to determine the nature of the correlation.

Logan Carter, Southern Utah University Education Many students learn best from hands on activities. I myself have had several experiences that have led to deeper understanding and growth. I have participated in many scientific extra-curricular activities such as the SUU Science and Engineering fair, The International Science and Engineering fair, and NCSSSMST conventions. Throughout all of these I gained a deeper understanding of scientific concepts. To test the hypothesis that learning in elementary school students may be affected positively by experiential learning because it engages them in whole brain learning, I have designed an engaged learning set of activities. I will test these activities on approximately twenty students between the ages of nine and eleven at North Elementary School. I will measure how students respond to a set of experiential learning activities through pre and post-activity assessments. For example, we will learn about parental care in amphibians, specifically Alytes spp. -the midwife toads. Male midwife toads wrap the fertilized eggs on their legg’s and care for them until they hatch. The activity would be to split the students into groups and making one group gives the other group the eggs (balloons on a string) to the other group to simulate caring for them. That group would then race to a finish line with the balloons around their legs, making sure not to break any of the eggs. The students with the most unbroken eggs would be awarded a prize for parental care. Experiential learning is an effective way for students to gain knowledge.

Nicolette Parrish, Dixie State University Education In a world where it seems nearly impossible for American Indian people to succeed, this presentation will draw upon first-hand interviews with terminal degree-holding American Indian women to demonstrate their successes, failures, resiliency, determination, and strengths in the face of an educational system that has historically been a source of pain and trauma for their communities. Indeed, the relationship between American Indians and academia has not always been a pleasant one. In 1879, Carlisle Indian School was the first Indian boarding school to be opened in the United States. The first boarding schools took American Indian children thousands of miles away from their homelands and forced them to live a foreign lifestyle. They were not allowed to speak their language or live by their traditional and cultural values. A new life was forced onto them and for years American Indians struggled to cope with that cultural and geographical dislocation. 135 years later, American Indians are still struggling to make a connection with the modern world and with their cultural world. It is rare to see an American Indian with a doctorate degree and it is even rarer for that person to be a woman. The quality of education and lack of resources on reservations often leaves American Indian children behind. For this reason, the aim of this project, to collect the oral histories from those that have overcome these obstacles in the face of so much adversity, is especially valuable.

Emily Kunz, Shea Long, Melany Reeder, and Brigid Crotty, Utah State University Education It has been proposed that asking a child to make up their own story, rather than to retell a story, is a more stringent test of narrative ability and may tax the linguistic system revealing weaknesses not apparent in less difficult contexts (eg., retelling stories). At least one study has shown that children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) experience content-form tradeoffs as they master narrative discourse (DeLucchi, Fricke, Kaye, Crotty and Gillam, 2015). The content-form tradeoff was observed when children with ASD with typical grammatical skills and poor narrative proficiency were shown to experience significant grammatical difficulties as they mastered narrative discourse. The purpose of this study was to determine whether content-form trade-offs were observed in stories children with ASD were asked to retell. Five children with ASD ranging in age from 9-12 were asked to retell stories weekly, during a baseline and narrative treatment period over the course of 12-16 weeks. The stories were scored for grammaticality and narrative proficiency. Story retells were observed to be grammatical whether elicited during baseline, early, mid or later treatment sessions. Children with lower language skills experienced times when they were completely unable to recall a story, particularly early on in instruction, although when they did, they experienced good grammatical accuracy. Children with higher language skills were always able to remember parts of the story and were highly grammatical. The story model (retell) may make it less difficult for students with ASD to focus on and remember content while also maintaining grammatical accuracy.

Mary Ann Hammon, Sydney Sneddon, Madeline Williams and Brigid Crotty, Utah State University Education Children diagnosed with ASD often experience marked difficulty in the comprehension and production of narrative discourse that extends well into their adolescent and adult years (7, 8, 9, 10). These narrative difficulties appear to be linked directly to the core symptoms of ASD that manifest in failure to plan using information from multiple sources, a hyper-focus on details at the expense of gist-level propositions and limited use of mental state and causal language to encode goals and motivations of characters (11). Theory of Mind (ToM) accounts propose that a core deficit in ASD is an inability to infer the emotional or mental states of others. Deficits in ToM have been shown to significantly impair one’s ability to engage in ongoing social interactions and to develop the linguistic knowledge (e.g., mental state and causal language) necessary for understanding the relationship between events in discourse (9). Mental state and causal language is necessary for the establishment of a causal framework to link story grammar elements together. The overarching goal of this project was to test whether a program designed to teach narrative language skills was effective for increasing the use of mental state and causal language for children with high functioning autism (ASD). A multiple baseline across participants study was conducted with 5 children with ASD (ages 8-12). Intervention was provided for two 50-minute individual sessions per week for a total of 21-33 sessions (depending on the student). Children’s spontaneous stories and story retells, collected weekly, were analyzed for the use of mental state and causal language before, during and after intervention. All of the children made clinically significant gains after participating in the instruction, with clear changes in the use and complexity of mental state verbs during both types of narrative production tasks (story retell, spontaneous generation). The gains were maintained after intervention was discontinued.

Are classic, young-adult novels set in the American west a dead genre in the American classroom? Despite its historical impact on popular culture, young-adult novels set in the American west have seen a considerable decline in relevance in American public schools. While classic young-adult literature receiving heavy rotation in current young-adult classrooms, as well as young-adult literature published in the current century, may have its place, Western, young-adult literature published in the 1960’s and 1970’s should still be read, taught, critiqued and celebrated. The general argument against including western, young-adult literature on the reading lists of public schools in the western states, where, arguably they should be the most prevalent, is that the texts are significantly passé and therefore not relevant to contemporary secondary students. While the majority of criticism in favor of western literature is also dated, this paper makes the argument that although the texts and various criticisms may seem behind the times, it should also be taken into account that present-day society is remarkably similar to society when the texts were initially published. Interestingly, not only is present-day society similar to society in the late 1960’s and 1970’s, but a recent interest in regionalism as opposed to vast commercialism also seems to be making an impact on society. By presenting literature that draws attention to the history of a local area, a literary gap created by an interest in who we were as a society and where we came from may be filled. The research conducted takes the classic, western, young-adult novel, True Grit by Charles Portis and that text with a more popular and more contemporary novel, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. It’s through this comparison we are able to appreciate and understand the relevance of classic Western literature in the contemporary classroom.

Erika Longino, University of Utah Education DesignbuildBLUFF is a development program wherein graduate architecture students apply custom designing and construction skills to make homes for Navajo families and individuals in need. 39% of the Utah reservation is under the poverty line and the whole Colorado Plateau is in an ecologically vulnerable position. There is clear evidence that water tables are dropping and native biodiversity is suffering because of anthropogenic climate change. Therefore, the human communities in the region are especially needful of proper infrastructure for sustainable development. DesignbuildBLUFF provides diverse services to many groups. The aim of this investigation is to map a framework for sustainable expansion and overall systematic improvement. The investigation will eventually produce a document outlining the inputs and outputs of DesignbuildBLUFF, environmentally and socially. Ecological components like soil quality, solar potential, rainfall, and plant inventory are noted and analyzed quantitatively. Social impacts are gathered using interviews and census data. The data is pulled together in a cohesive, aesthetic map and used to plan DesignbuildBLUFF’s trajectory. The document will provide a clear framework for acknowledging and eliminating unnecessary features, reducing the ecological footprint of the organization, and improving important social relations. This document is not a definitive “master plan”, rather it provides the necessary data and suggestions for growth that take into account whole systems thinking.

Shayla Miller, Dixie State University Education My research focuses on the positive side effects of using models and representations to facilitate student learning in the classroom. The science lesson was taught and recorded to a class of thirty students. The students made visual models/representations of their knowledge about ecosystems from the lesson taught. Test scores were improved, and the information was proven to stay in long term memory according to end of level testing.

Samantha DeLucchi, Telesha Fricke, Kamilla Okey and Brigid Crotty, Utah State University Education Children with ASD often experience marked difficulty achieving proficiency in narration, and often require explicit instruction to learn this important discourse skill. The present study was designed to extend the work of Colozzo et al., 2011 by examining the relationship between content and form in the narratives of school-age children with ASD as they participated in a narrative intervention program to improve their knowledge of story structure and ultimately, to improve their ability to create coherent, organized narratives. Children received two, individual, 50-minute intervention sessions weekly for a period of about 7 – 11 weeks. Children were asked to make up their own stories once weekly. These stories were scored for narrative proficiency and for grammatical accuracy. Findings revealed that prior to beginning narrative treatment, all of the children’s grammatical accuracy was high while their narrative proficiency scores were low. In the first weeks of treatment, all children experienced a significant decrease in grammatical accuracy (<70%), however their narrative scores were observed to increase. Narrative proficiency scores continued to increase and become stable for all children. Interestingly, grammatical accuracy returned to normal (90% or greater) during the last weeks of intervention as children’s narrative proficiency became stable. The findings from this study support the presence of a content-form tradeoff, as children learn difficult linguistic skills, other skills that are ordinarily stable, may fluctuate until the new skill is mastered. The absence of grammatical errors may not be taken as an indication that the student is proficient in constructing a coherent, organized narrative. Further implications are discussed.

Lauren Ezzell and Lauryn Chapman, Snow College Education Most secondary level public schools have school counselors. However, the actual responsibilities of counselors are seen differently by people. There are studies demonstrating the perspective of principals’, teachers’, and counselors’. Yet, little attention is paid to the parents’ perspective and no attention to the students’. That’s why the research, Perceptions of School Counselor’s Responsibilities, is important. Surveys were distributed to high school students and parents throughout Utah. Surveys asked what were the counselors’ three main jobs. The majority of responses were: scheduling, ACT prep, graduation requirements. Participants were asked if there were jobs their counselor was supposed to do, but wasn’t, and what service they would like them to provide. Data was analyzed using SPSS to determine correlative trends then compared to the Utah Model for Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling. College students were also surveyed to determine their understanding of the counselors’ job. Students were asked two questions: What is the job of the college counselor? and What is the job of the college advisor? Responses were coded into five categories: knew job of counselor, knew job of advisor, unaware of difference, knew both, and didn’t know either. Results show when problems arise students confide in teachers instead of counselors, although parents thought differently. When asked what job counselors should do, the majority said emotional/wellness counseling. Results compared to the Utah Model, showed ‘Guidance Curriculum’ was given 3% (students) and 2% (parents) but the state gives 22%. Responses of college students showed only 5% knew the jobs of both the counselor and advisor, and only 15.1% of students knew the job of counselor. As a result, individuals are unsure of the school counselors’ job, which leads to the counselors being viewed as glorified registrars. This research could have lasting impacts on not only schools, but also individual students.

Taylor Anderson, Megan Israel Sen, Amy Nielsen, and Brigid Crotty, Utah State University Education Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have been shown to use substantially more simple sentences as compared to complex sentences in their spontaneously generated narratives (Sanford, Pearson, Summers, Crotty and Gillam, 2015). However, Sanford et al., showed that children with ASD began to use substantially more complex sentences in their stories during and after narrative treatment (>50%). It is possible that children with ASD may experience greater difficulty using complex sentences in stories they must generate than in retelling stories they have heard. The purpose of this study was to examine story retells of 5 children with ASD before, during and after narrative intervention for syntactic complexity. Results indicated that during baseline when children were not receiving instruction, their story retells contained more simple sentences than complex sentences. The use of complex sentences was observed to increase as children became more proficient in their narrative production skills. When compared to stories children generated on their own (spontaneous stories), the story retells contained more complex sentences overall, but were often associated with less verbal fluency particularly as children were mastering narrative skills. The findings will be discussed in terms of trade-offs in verbal fluency, grammaticality and the use of complex sentences during different stages of narrative proficiency as a function of initial language knowledge.

Duncan Stewart, University of Utah Communications Space is used as a rhetorical mechanism in Salt Lake City to separate the lives of the wealthy and the precarious bodies that are marginalized as hungry, unemployed, and homeless. This separation sustains a self-reproductive system of exclusion fueled by an unquenchable desire for profit and spatial separation. One way this separation is articulated is around the notion of “home,” insofar as the housed and the homeless represent this separation and are sustained by the political economy of the city. While the state efforts to address homelessness are valuable, the scope of the homeless problem requires that we critically reflect on how anti-homeless programs demand we conceptualize homelessness and the place of people experiencing homelessness in the space of the city. I will argue the space of the city is organized as a sorting mechanism that reinforces class and material divisions. Spatial separation becomes a regulatory operation where those who appear potentially able to participate in the economics of the cityscape are welcome and those who are not become legally excluded. One way this is accomplished is by enacting policies that promise to “solve” the problem of homelessness. Thus I will use Salt Lake City’s housing first initiative as lens to address the material consequences of such rhetorical force. Following this, I will highlight some of the major rhetorical themes that emerged in the analysis of discourses surrounding “Housing First.” Finally, I will consider how these insights help further an understanding of homelessness, expose how contemporary responses reify the marginalization of homeless populations from urban life, and point toward new ways of conceptualizing solutions to the “homeless problem.”

Erin Olschewski, University of Utah Communications In the realm of entertainment education and media studies, there is a sizable amount of research linking children’s nutrition and early educational television shows; Sesame Street being one of the most commonly studied television programs. However, there is no work that attempts to connect nutrition with sustainability and social justice in the context of children’s educational television, despite the fact that the portrayal of these issues in the media is incredibly significant, especially in regards to children and their understanding of these complex topics. In my research, I am thematically analyzing the ways in which Sesame Street relays important messages about nutrition, sustainability, and social justice to its viewers. After a primary viewing and coding of three seasons and online food-related content, I have concluded that while health is being tackled in many episodes, issues surrounding sustainability and social justice are being neglected. As my research continues I will be analyzing these gaps on a deeper level to examine motivations behind the lack of content in these two crucial issue areas. Furthermore, this study connects the often disjointed fields of food studies, media studies, and environmental and health communication and provides a more holistic perspective on how these important topics are being conveyed, or not, to our children.

Michael Nagy, Dixie State University Communications The sketch TV show Saturday Night Live has, since its inception, produced actors and actresses that have gone on to create and act in comedic films. Mike Myers wrote and acted in the second SNL sketch to become a film, Wayne’s World (1992). The first was The Blues Brothers (1980). Through writing the central character of Wayne Campbell, Mike Myers explored the idea of the unattractive hero. Most of Myers’ post-SNL characters are in opposition to the stereotypical idea of a hero. This stereotype is a strong, tall, bold, outgoing, courageous, attractive character, the perfect image of a hero. Myers uses quite the opposite of these elements to subvert the stereotype of a hero, yet still make his characters heroic. Through the mixture of quirky attributes and unpleasant characteristics, Myers invents a new kind of character that stretches the definition of antihero. Myers writes his characters as unattractive, goofy, clumsy, shy, oddball, gross, or creepy, yet they are just as successful in their role as the hero. He isn’t afraid to introduce strong female roles into his writing with Cassandra in Wayne’s World and Vanessa Kensington in Austin Powers. Females that display strength, confidence, and power while remaining feminine are key players in Mike Myers comedy writing while his male leads are unattractive heroes. Later comedic films created by former SNL cast members adopt the unattractive hero as a central character, showing the influence Myers had on his peers. Films like The Coneheads and A Night at the Roxbury grew from Myers lead in the genre with other SNL alumni at the helm. This presentation will examine the particular construction of the main characters of Wayne’s World and Austin Powers, in the films with the same titles, as heroes within the framework of comedy. It will also attempt to examine how Myers subverts the conventions of an ideal hero to create a source of comedy for his movies.

Spencer Robb, Dixie State University Communications Ebola is making history as one of the most feared viruses in the world. It has demonstrated its power by infecting over 14,000 people and continues to spread. It has caused cities in Africa, filled with thousands of people, to become desolate. As death rates have increased, other countries outside of Africa have been affected as well. This pandemic has driven many people and researchers frantically searching for a cure, a vaccine, or preventative implementation that will decrease this sense of urgency. Perhaps even more dangerous than the physical spread of Ebola within these non-African nations, is the anxiety caused by the uncertainty and fear of a possible pandemic. Indeed, the more any society is exposed through numerous media channels to outbreak concerns, the more fear, for that group, becomes a self-perpetuating force. This presentation, therefore, will utilize the extant academic and journalistic resources to examine two pathways of inquiry: the first is how the Center for Disease Control (CDC) provides service to those who have been infected with Ebola virus as well as the evaluation of steps used to prevent more infections. The second is how Uncertainty Management Theory can provide potential strategies for mitigating fear and anxiety surrounding Ebola by explaining that with more information a situation can go in one of three directions — reduce, maintain, or increase uncertainty. According to this theory, we can better gauge our information and fear prerogatives and formulate better protocols as a result.

Samantha Tommer, Dixie State University Communications This study examines how heavy media coverage of court cases may produce a social stigma towards defendants that are found innocent in the criminal justice system. Trial by media is a central focus in this study on how court cases portrayed to media audiences influence information gathering and analyzing abilities. Since audiences only see certain frames of media, media court coverage may cause audiences to develop a negative stigma towards acquitted individuals by not seeing all aspects of the case, listening to analysts’ opinions, and receiving bias information through various news agencies. The study evaluated the responses of two groups of participants. The control group viewed a neutral video clip while the experimental group viewed a video of media court trial coverage and reporter analysis. Participants then answered a question regarding their level of comfort regarding if an individual accused of murder moves into their neighborhood. The researchers hypothesized that those participants who watched the media clip would rate their level of comfort much lower than those who watched the neutral clip, thus producing a social stigma towards the acquitted individual. After three weeks of watching the clip, all participants were contacted to and asked the same question to measure if the stigma had lessened and if so, how much.

Chet Norman, Dixie State University Communications Maintaining alumni relationships can be difficult with a changing institutional culture and identity. For example, the name change from Dixie State College to Dixie State University (DSU) and change of the mascot’s identity, from the Rebels to the Red Storm, has caused alumni to become detached from the institution they once knew. This study, conducted in coordination with DSU’s Alumni Office, investigates strategies to communicate and foster relationships with discouraged alumni. A dynamic outreach strategy, based on academic theory and research from the disciplines of human communication and business marketing was developed to reach this goal. In particular, uncertainty management theory (UMT) and narrative storytelling methods were employed to develop a marketing campaign to further involve disheartened alumni through YouTube videos, monthly e-newsletters, alumni card program, social media interaction, and contests. This presentation will consist of a brief overview of the history of change in DSU’s identity, application of theories used to decrease alumni uncertainty, and lastly an identification of strategies for implementation.

Skyler Hunt, Dixie State University Communications This critical film piece examines Walt Disney Animation Studio’s Frozen through a lens of identity construction. By examining the film’s context, music, and dialogue, the identity formation of principal characters Elsa and Anna are interpreted as each identifies with different audiences. At the core of Elsa’s identity is a struggle with suppression incited by social expectations, linking her character to marginalized groups, such as the trans* community. Anna’s identity is seen forming in isolation through images displaying gender expectations, resulting in her cisgender status and role as an ally to her disenfranchised sibling. The interplay of these identities is also interpreted as a social appeal to audiences for acceptance of diverse internalizations of identity.

Hayley Ford, Kristen Wilding and Matt Schinn, Brigham Young University Engineering Therapeutic proteins are specially engineered proteins used to treat many large profile diseases. Such diseases include cancer, diabetes, hepatitis B/C, hemophilia, multiple sclerosis, and anemia. The use of these proteins is specific and highly successful and the demand for these proteins in rapidly increasing. One of the largest problems with the use of therapeutic proteins is the cost of making them. The cost of producing these proteins amounts to hundreds of billions of US dollars every year. There is a growing need to find better, faster, and cheaper ways to create them. As specific therapeutic proteins are coming off patent, research labs are able to explore the processes of making these drugs that have become such a large part of the pharmaceutical industry. Here we report the use of cell-free synthesis as a more cost-effective way to produce these therapeutic proteins. Cell-free protein synthesis is faster and allows for direct manipulation and control of the protein creating environment. Cell-free synthesis can produce proteins in a matter of days as opposed to the weeks it takes to produce them in vivo. The increased manipulation and control of the environment that comes with cell-free synthesis allows improved accuracy in creating the desired proteins and is more adaptable to changes if they need to be made.

James Newton, Scott Anjewierden, and Sasha Luks-Morgan, University of Utah Engineering Oxytocin (OXT), a neuromodulatory peptide produced by the hypothalamus, is involved in a variety of physiological and behavioral phenomena. Exogenous OXT and drugs that mimic OXT signaling are potential treatments of a number of neurological disorders. The canonical mechanisms of OXT function are neuroendocrine in nature, as the peptide is released into circulation through the neurohypophysis. However, OXT has also been shown to exert some of its effects through direct synaptic release within the central nervous system. Using the larval zebrafish as a model, we seek to identify targets of these directly projecting OXT neurons and study what role they play in the modulation of behavior. Critical to this analysis are computer programs which enable precise quantification of anxiety, social behavior, and reward learning. Our custom-written software automatically identifies and tracks free- swimming fish, using measured positions over time to evaluate behavior in a variety of paradigms. In combination with molecular, cellular, and optogenetic manipulation of OXT networks, this project will allow a fuller understanding of the relationship between these neurons and behavior.

Jordan Eatough, Jeremy Struk, Andrew Priest, Brady Vance, Brielle Woolsey, Steven Balls, Camille

Adam Herron, Jared Thomas, Shawn Coleman, Douglas Spearot, and Eric Homer, Brigham Young University Engineering For many years, x-ray diffraction and electron diffraction have served as effective means to understand and classify the molecular structure of many materials. Diffraction, as a physical phenomenon, is well known and theoretical diffraction simulation is relatively simple for perfect crystalline structures of known orientation. Prior methods of diffraction simulation, however, are insufficient to predict experimental diffraction patterns of unknown crystal structures or of crystal structures with high defect density. Recent advancements in computing capability and development of atomistic simulation software have greatly enhanced our ability to predict material properties and behaviors under various conditions. Atomistic simulation has become an extremely useful tool in the analysis of dynamic chemical and mechanical systems. It can only be truly effective, however, when it models a real-world application, can be interpreted coherently, and can accurately predict future conditions. Thus, we are developing new tools that bridge the gap between electron diffraction through real materials and simulated diffraction through atomistic simulations. We present a method of generating Kikuchi Diffraction Patterns from atomistic simulation data with no a priori knowledge of the crystal structure or crystallographic orientation. Our research was inspired by the recent work of Coleman et. al. 2013 and builds on their methods of calculating diffraction intensity at discrete locations in the reciprocal domain. We improve on their method by introducing an integration of the structure factor to ensure complete capture of diffraction intensity peaks while maintaining a relatively low density of sample points. This allows us to significantly reduce the required computation time on the analysis of atomistic simulation data. We use this diffraction data to generate simulated Kikuchi Diffraction Patterns.

Conner Earl, Brigham Young University Engineering The emerging field of Cell-free protein synthesis enables the efficient production of complex proteins for a number of exciting applications such as medicines that better interact with the body, vaccines, antibodies, and renewable, sustainable biocatalysts. However, progress is hampered by high costs and low yields of necessary proteins. This project is designed to improve protein yields and drive down costs by studying techniques of optimization of protein yields in Cell-Free protein synthesis. Our main area of focus is the inhibition of naturally occurring ribonucleases (RNAses) which are enzymes that degrade essential elements for protein synthesis- specifically, the mRNA used to transcribe protien. One of the techniques we intend to use for inhibition of these RNAses is by complexing the RNAse with an appropriate RNAse inhibitor protein thus limiting or eliminating its function of degrading mRNA. The aims of this research project is to: (1) Identify appropriate RNAse inhibitors (2) Design and synthesize inhibitor genes (3) Express, purify and assay RNAse inhibitors (4) Improve Cell-free protein synthesis yields utilizing RNAse inhibitors for analysis of activity and effectiveness as well as the enhancement of cell-free protein synthesis yields. Accomplishing these goals will result in more efficient systems and more accurate analysis that may lead to cheaper, more readily available vaccines and pharmaceuticals produced through Cell-free protein synthesis.

Theo Stoddard-Bennett and Steven Christiansen, Brigham Young University Engineering Damage to the human retina is often irreversible and so currently there are no established treatments of diseases such as dry age related macular degeneration (AMD). Dry AMD results in a loss of sight because of cell death in the macula, a centralized part of the retina which contains a high concentration of photoreceptor cells. One possible treatment would be to limit the rate of cell death within the macula, however this is not a comprehensive solution. Rather, regeneration of the photoreceptors within the retina is necessary to restore sight. In current research, Müller glia cells, a major glial component of the retina, can potentially be used as sources for photoreceptor regeneration in order to combat dry AMD due to their homeostatic regulation of retinal injury. Directed reprogramming would occur through a five step process. The Müller glia would need to undergo de-differentiation to Müller glia-derived progenitor cells (MGPCs), proliferation of MGPCs, migration of MGPCs, neuronal differentiation, and integration in order to generate retinal neurons. Müller cells can be isolated and cultured by dissociating retinal tissue in optimal media. Here we present the dissection and dissociation of rat retinal tissue to obtain purified proliferating Müller cell cultures. Our lab has tracked and modelled the rates of proliferation and phenotypically characterized the stages of proliferation. Using immunofluorescence and PCR tests to confirm purity, we will then expect to run a series of assays to identify growth factors, Wnt signals and cytokines to test the effects of retinal extracellular matrix proteins on Müller cell de-differentiation to MGPCs. The focus of our current research is the identification of reprogramming mechanisms that may possess beneficial data leading to both unique strategies for promoting retinal regeneration in mammals and clinical applications for those living with dry AMD.

Dan Barfuss, Brigham Young University Engineering Shale oil has long been seen as a source of energy that can be incorporated into existing infrastructure. It consists of kerogen (or organic matrix) bound to inorganic rock. This kerogen can be released as an oil-like substance by heating it up to high temperatures without the presence of oxygen (i.e., pyrolysis). Due to advances in NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) we were able to make an accurate structural based model that can predict the relative tar and light gas yields[1]. We modified the Chemical Percolation Devolatilization Model (CPD) of coal to fit with the more aliphatic nature of oil shale. The CPD model describes the aromatic regions as clusters and aliphatic regions as bridges. As these bridges are broken the model releases groups of clusters that will form tar. In coal the bridge breaking gives off light gases, whereas in shale oil the bridges are much heavier and mostly form tar. We built two models that accounted for this. We also used the composition of the tar and the gas found by Fletcher et. al. [2] to predict what elements would be left and the aromaticity of the carbons. We found that throughout the reaction new aromatic regions were formed. With information from this model,- we are able to better predict the products of oil shale pyrolysis, and describe what happens chemically.

Nandini Deo, University of Utah Engineering Air quality in the United States has come under scrutiny in recent years. Many pollutants are trapped in the air we breathe in the form of photochemical smog. The aim of this research is to aid the breakdown of these pollutants. Peroxyacetyl Nitrate (PAN) is a predominant smog species; the research conducted aims to decompose this molecule and capture the resulting particles using the photocatalytic properties of Titanium Dioxide Nano tubes. The research conducted thus far has focused on the following questions:What molecules does the thermal decomposition of PAN produce? Is there a metal substrate to attach to TiO2 Nano-materials that aids the breakdown of PAN and its decomposition products? Can a sustainable process/device be identified to functionalize these materials? Literature research shows that PAN thermally decomposes into CO_2, NO_2, methyl nitrate, and formaldehyde. Methyl Nitrate and CO_2 may be eliminated using specific experimental conditions. Hence, it can be determined that the substrate attached to TiO2 must decompose PAN, NO_2 and formaldehyde. Using the molecular modeling programs Avogadro and MOPAC, 50 metals were optimized in relation to Formaldehyde, NO_2, and PAN. To find each metal’s reactivity to each target compound, HOMO/LUMO (Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital/Lowest Occupied Molecular Orbital) energies were calculated and used to find the common reactive metals between the target compounds: Cobalt, Silver, Iridium, and Niobium. To test whether the most complex product of the PAN decomposition (Formaldehyde) will break down, a device was created using a 3-D printer and Cobalt functionalized nanotubes. Pure formaldehyde, a blank sample (no tubes), and a sample with functionalized tubes were run through the device in the form of vapor, in front of a solar simulator. The captured vapor’s GC/MS results show an almost complete breakdown of Formaldehyde with the use of the device containing the functionalized tubes.

Takami Kowalski, Warren Robison, Anton Bowden, and Brian Jensen, Brigham Young University Engineering Using a coronary stent to expand a blocked blood vessel as a way to treat coronary heart disease has proved effective in the past. However, there are risks, such as thrombosis, that are a natural side effect of inserting a foreign object into the body. Creating a stent out of a hemocompatible material such as carbon-infiltrated carbon nanotubes could potentially resolve these issues and also make unnecessary treatments such as dual antiplatelet therapy as a way of decreasing the risk of adverse side effects. Previous research done in this lab has shown that carbon-infiltrated carbon nanotubes can be grown in a pattern defined by photolithography on a planar surface. The present work demonstrates preliminary results from patterning a flat, flexible substrate and rolling it into a cylindrical shape before growing carbon-infiltrated carbon nanotubes as a way to fabricate cylindrical stents, fulfilling all necessary specifications for a stent with the added benefit of hemocompatibility. We also demonstrate growth on curved substrates and explore process parameters for achieving good-quality CNT forests.

Carlton Reininger and John Salmon, Brigham Young University Engineering Electric Vehicles (EV) are a rising alternative to standard combustion vehicles because of their energy cost savings and reduced carbon emissions. However, EVs come with limitations such as limited driving range and potentially long recharge times. The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of implementing an electric vehicle system into an urban environment. Using data provided by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, models are developed and generated to simulate driver shifts and analyze system level impacts from EVs on driver behavior. The models evaluate the number of charge events over the course of a shift and calculate the potential revenue lost to missed fares during charge intervals. Across the system, the results indicate that for a majority of NYC taxi drivers, EVs can be implemented without significant changes in driver behavior, while providing an economic and environmental advantage over current combustion vehicles. These preliminary findings can be used to support implementing such a system in urban environments and these models could be used as a template toward analyzing EV taxi potential in other cities.

Benjamin Buttars, Jeffrey Nielson, Spencer Baker, Jonathon Thibaudeau, Angela Nakalembe, Tim

Scott Anjewierden, James Newton and Joshua Barrios, University of Utah Engineering Organisms in their natural environment are constantly presented with sensory stimuli. These stimuli must be filtered by the brain to select an appropriate behavioral response. A significant example of this filtering process is audiomotor prepulse inhibition (PPI). In PPI, the startle response to a loud noise is suppressed by a preceding stimulus of lower intensity. This ability to optimize behavior in response to environmental context is an essential brain function. Defects in PPI are associated with neurological disorders such as obsessive- compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome, and schizophrenia. This project demonstrates the development of new software to analyze swim kinematics in a restrained, larval zebrafish model of PPI. Our programs automatically extract several kinematic parameters from image sequences of behaving animals and use them to classify behavior into one of three, stereotyped categories. Correct classification is reported in 96.32% of trials (n = 162). This automated analysis will now permit a more robust study of PPI in these animals, where the brain’s experimental accessibility will allow us to discover the cellular bases of sensory filtering.

Steven Stanley, Brigham Young University Engineering The genetic code has long been restricted to a set of 20 fundamental building blocks called amino acids. Recent research has expanded the genetic code through unnatural amino acids (uAA), thus adding enormous possibilities to the potential chemistries of proteins. Because nature is highly selective in the protein translation process, it has proven extremely difficult to successfully insert multiple uAAs simultaneously. The incorporation of an uAA with in vitro methods typically relies on the use of the amber stop codon as a mutated insertion site. A stop codon placed at the middle of a gene can code for either the uAA or termination, thus, protein synthesis may often terminate prematurely instead of inserting the desired uAA. This inefficiency inhibits the possibility of inserting multiple uAAs simultaneously. We propose a novel method that will allow for multiple uAAs to be inserted simultaneously. Our method involves isolating a minimal set of tRNA for in vitro protein synthesis, allowing for uAA insertion to occur at codons other than the amber stop codon. My work has focused on the production of 4 versions of uAA-tRNA synthetase, a protein that charges tRNA with the uAA. We are currently growing these 4 different proteins in bulk and testing their activity. We will test them for compatibility, confirming that they do not interfere with one another and other synthetases native to our in vitro protein synthesis system. These uAA-tRNA synthetases, in conjunction with specialized tRNA, will provide the basis to efficiently incorporate multiple uAA simultaneously. The success of this project will have many practical applications ranging from new therapeutics to new methods of medical diagnosis.

Amber Christensen, Weber State University Education Session Title Women and nutrition in the back country: How their calorie intake and calorie expenditure affect their body composition while backpacking Summary Abstract This study examines the factors that influence change in women’s body composition while backpacking through a mountainous terrain. To see the changes and why they happened, pre- and post- data was collected to measure body composition while participants filled out food logs to generate calorie intake and calorie expenditure. Full Abstract Women are becoming more frequent in the back country as the benefits of nature are becoming more known. Since men have dominated the outdoor world, there is more research conducted on men in the outdoors than there are on women. Nutrition research in the back country is also a new research subject that is gaining interest. Adding women, nutrition, and the back country for research is a topic that not many have touched on. Why is this all relevant and what could it mean? From looking into women and their nutrition in the back country, we can get an inside look at what changes their bodies are making and what factors are causing these changes. During this study women over the age of 18 enrolled in a National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) course of their choice went into the back country of Wyoming for thirty days. Before they left for the back country, pre-tests were recorded of their body composition using Weber State University’s Bod Pod which recorded lean muscle masses and body fat masses. During their expedition they were asked to keep a food log. Their leaders recorded their distance traveled during each day which was then calculated into energy expenditure. Upon returning, post-tests were recorded using the Bod Pod to compare results between before and after. Measurements and data have been collected on these women as well as their food logs. A conclusion will be made from analyzing the data from both Bod Pod measurements and the food and nutritional intake vs energy expenditure. Currently the process of entering this data is underway and will be completed within the coming months. Once this data is entered and analyzed with the results from the Bod Pod, conclusions can be made to determine if these women received adequate calorie intake to at least match calorie expenditure and what affects their nutrition intake had on changes to their body composition. Measurable Outcomes 1. Changes in body composition; lean muscle mass vs fat mass. 2. If calorie intake was sufficient to support calorie expenditure. 3. Nutritional value of the foods consumed and how they affected performance.

Raschelle Davis, Dixie State University Education The general populace in America has many misconceptions concerning space; this is due to lack of explicit, clear education. As children grow and observe the world around them they can create misconceptions about how things work. Research shows that this is particularly true when children are learning about space (Brunsell and Marcks, 2007). Many of these misconceptions can be corrected or avoided if the teacher has specific knowledge of the science content and how to teach it (Bulunuz and Jarrett, 2009). As a mother of a young boy I have been asked many questions about space and how it all works. I was never sure how I should answer those questions, since I did not fully understand how it worked myself. This past year I became involved in a NASA astronomy project in my teacher education program that teaches space science to students using a hands-on approach. During my first astronomy event I could not help but be amazed with the questions and the confusion that some of the students had about space while looking through the telescopes. This gave me the desire to learn more about space and teaching children about space. This research project explores children’s misconceptions about space, the problems with how children are currently being taught about space, and how students could more effectively be taught about space in order to reach clear understanding.

Kassandra Sqrow, Weber State University Education Opportunities for children to interact and connect to the natural environment through play are declining. The benefits of outdoor play are well documented (Little and Wyver, 2008) and show the important role it contributes to healthy child development. Yet, fears and anxieties parents have about the outdoor environment are the most potent forces that prevent parents from allowing their children to play outdoors (Furedi, 2002; Louv, 2006). Identifying the beliefs and attitudes parents have about outdoor-based play can provide valuable insights for recreation and youth professionals to understand how to encourage outdoor play in families. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore parents’ perceptions on factors that constrain or facilitate the level of outdoor play that they encourage in their children. Parents with children ages 4 to 10 years old were recruited through a local school to participate in focus groups. Research participants were asked about their perceptive on the role outdoor-play has on their child’s development and characteristics of outdoor play spaces that influence the level of outdoor play their children engage in. Data will be analyzed by identifying recurring themes and patterns of parents’ perceptions and factors that influence the level of outdoor-based play in their child’s life. The data for this study is currently being collected and will be analyzed by November 2014. Implications for practice will be discussed.

Claudy Eckardt, Weber State University Education Obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States. Statistical facts show that one third of U.S. children, between the ages of 2-19, are obese. A common health risk found in children who are overweight is that they will continue to stay overweight throughout the course of their lifespan. Long-term health consequences of obesity only to be found in adults have become more prevalent in children as well. Prevention is the key to reducing this dangerous epidemic and its consequences. The purpose of this study was to investigate children’s knowledge on the causes and consequences of being overweight. This study used a qualitative research method. Two participants were interviewed for case studies. Both participants were between the ages of 8 and 11 and were from different ethnic backgrounds. Each child was given nine questions to answer. Each child was given an adequate amount of time to thoroughly understand each question and respond. Interviews lasted between five to ten minutes. Parental consent was given before the interview process. Results showed that the participants were exposed to the risk factors of obesity. Each child demonstrated a clear understanding that obesity has negative health consequences and expressed preventative measures as well. Furthermore the participants proved that obesity was not only limited to the school or home environment but multiple environments.

Ashleigh Wilson, Utah Valley University Physical Sciences At many institutions, the algebra-based introductory physics courses are populated with students specializing in biological fields such as preparation for medical or dental schools. While the main focus on the course is to provide the students with a solid conceptual understanding and solving problem skills in physics, the students often see little application towards their fields. This is particularly true in the traditional introductory physics laboratory experiments and demonstrations, which often focus on basic applications and offer no direct relation towards the medical fields. As part of a summer research project, we explored the possibility of developing a low-cost NIR imaging system, which could be used in demonstrations, laboratory exercises, as well as student research projects. The use of infrared imaging in medical physics is an emerging technology with promising prospects, including thermography, biometry, and phlebotomy. For example, when using near infrared (NIR) light (700-1100 nm), vein imaging and mapping is possible. Due to the deoxidized nature of hemoglobin in veins, it exhibits strong absorption at a certain wavelength (~730 nm). The surrounding tissue and arteries, however, allow the radiation to pass through. Utilizing an array of different NIR wavelengths and a modified web camera with a combined cost of $150, we successfully created a low-cost NIR imaging system capable of mapping out veins. This poster will present the instrument setup as well as show the preliminary results. Further potential use of this system will also be presented.

Kimberly Lowder, Weber State University Physical Sciences The herbicide Roundup and its active ingredient, Glyphosate, are widely used for weed control. These chemicals end up into streams and lakes, including the Great Salt Lake where it adversely affects wildlife. The goals of this project are a) to assess the mortality rate of Artemia larvae exposed to various concentrations of Roundup concentrate after a short exposure (48h) or a long-chronic exposure (7 days), b) to assess the effect of chronic on survival, maturation and fertility and c) to quantify the stress response of the shrimp on the heat-shock proteins 90 and 70. Materials and Methods: For the acute exposure, Artemia larval mortality was calculated in larvae exposed to Roundup concentrations ranging from 10-3 to 10-10 ml/l of Roundup concentrate for 48 h. For the chronic exposure, larvae were raised in the above Roundup concentrations. Mortality, maturation and fertility rates were calculated. The response to stress was assessed by quantifying the up-regulation of stress proteins hsp90 and 70 using western blots. Results: All larvae were killed after exposure at 10-4 g/l or greater of Roundup concentrate. Most larvae survived at Roundup concentrations of 10-6 ml/l or less. While chronic exposure to lower Roundup concentrations did not seem to affect survival or maturation rate, it did affect larval development. Larvae developing in 10-7 ml/l or more Roundup had about a 20% risk of not hatching or dying shortly after hatching. Hsp70 western blots showed an upregulation of this heat-shock protein at 10-5 ml/l or higher Roundup concentrations.

David Sutterfield, Utah Valley University Physical Sciences When sulfide-bearing rocks are exposed to oxidizing conditions, they become destabilized, leaving behind a framework of leached, altered, and replaced host rock called a gossan. Many of these gossans form by the oxidation of ore minerals and have been known since antiquity to be associated with ore deposits. However, the extent and quality of ore mineralization beneath a given gossan cannot readily be determined through surface sampling of minerals. Work conducted by mineral exploration professionals (in Africa, Australia, India, and the Middle East) has indicated that geomagnetic and geoelectric surveys of a gossan can be useful for constraining the shape, size, and economic potential of an associated ore deposit. Although gossans are found in Utah, there have been no published studies of these rock units either in terms of their economic potential or geophysical signature. The objective of this study was to carry out geomagnetic and geoelectric surveys to determine the geophysical signature of gossans exposed about 10 miles northwest of Vernal, Utah, on the southeastern margin of the Uinta Mountains, for the purpose of estimating the grade and depth of possible sulfide mineralization. The gossans overlie a heavily brecciated wedge of Mississippian Madison Limestone and are structurally bounded by the South Flank Fault, which forms the boundary between the Permian Weber Sandstone to the south and the Neoproterozoic Uinta Mountain Group metaquartzites to the north. Geoelectric measurements with an Iris Instruments Syscal Junior Resistivity System and inversion of a portion of the resistivity and chargeability data with the Interpex IX1D Sounding Inversion software shows a resistivity low (~200 Ω·m) and a chargeability high (~7 ms) below 23 m depth. Measurements of total magnetic field using a Geometrics G-856 Proton Precession Magnetometer were modeled with Interpex IX2D-GM Magnetic Interpretation Software and constrained with magnetic susceptibilities of exposed rocks measured in the field using a SM-20 Magnetic Susceptibility Meter. Models based upon a portion of the data show anomalies of amplitude about 100 nT and wavelength about 50 m, suggesting isolated bodies of elevated magnetic susceptibility (~0.08 SI units) with upper surfaces 20-30 m below the surface. Since, based upon the topography, the depth to the water table is also 20-30 m, the geophysical measurements are consistent with the presence of reduced sulfide bodies below this depth. Further work will include interpretation of remaining data and possible drilling for improved calibration of geophysical models.

Brad Draper, Hannah Firth, and Patricia Stauffer, Weber State University Physical Sciences It is widely known that cacao beans are one of the most abundant sources of naturally-occurring flavonoids on earth. However, chocolate products contain only a small percentage of the original flavonoids present in cacao beans, indicating that up to 95% of these flavonoids are lost during the manufacturing of chocolate. However, no one has identified the specific events or steps in chocolate preparation that destroys these flavonoids. We have measured the concentrations of a variety of nutritionally beneficial flavonoids at each step of the chocolate manufacturing process to identify the related extent of flavonoid losses. Following multiple-step extractions and sample preparations, we utilized chemical techniques of TLC, UV/VIS Spectroscopy, HPLC, and organoleptic testing to measure the levels of catechins and proanthocyanidins at each step of the chocolate making process.

According to the 2010 US Census, the Hispanic population in Ogden City, Utah has grown by over 36%. This influx of population of Hispanic descent has influenced local businesses to begin advertising in Spanish through multiple mediums. To determine what factors influence a business’s decision to advertise in Spanish, locations of all print advertising in Ogden were determined through personal investigation. Second, neighborhoods and areas were divided according to census divisions that appear on the official website and median household income as well as the population of Hispanic people was recorded to determine if socioeconomic bias was present in the selection of where to advertise in Spanish. A linear regression comparing the total number of Spanish advertisements found in each geographical area was compared first to income, and then to total Hispanic population. The results of the regression illustrate a potential bias based on financial circumstances rather than ethnicity. Further study is needed to determine if this use of Spanish-advertising in the low-income areas affects Spanish-speakers’ access to healthy foods, housing, or other critical aspects of quotidian life.

Jeremiah Rundall, Utah Valley University Physical Sciences The practice in hydrology is to deduce stream discharge from stream stage by creating a rating curve for each stream site from simultaneous measurements of stage and discharge. If a river could be assigned a generic rating curve with a small number of parameters, the cost of developing rating curves could be reduced. The first step has been to classify rivers according to whether there is a unique relationship between stage and discharge. The USGS National Water Information System database of about 3.8 million simultaneous measurements of stage and discharge at15,345 active and historic stream gaging sites was imported into a Python-driven data manipulation script. Linear relationships between z-scores of the logarithms of stage and discharge were developed for each site. A frequency spectrum of the slopes of the linear relationships was created by summing the normal distributions for each site with mean equal to slope and standard deviation equal to uncertainty in slope. There were no stream gaging sites at which discharge changed without a change in stage. At about 70% of stream gaging sites, over 90% of the variation in stage corresponded to a variation in discharge. At the remaining sites, significant variation in stage occurred without a variation in discharge. Current research involves identifying the characteristics of stream sites that lack a unique stage-discharge relationship and creating classes of generic rating curves by considering more complex functional fits.

Valerie Jacobson, Weber State University Physical Sciences This study will compare and contrast the differences between nuclear accidents in Chernobyl and Fukushima. The environmental impacts of the “fall-out” across the two differing landscapes and the displacement of the populations due to radiation contamination, e.g., soil contamination, will be analyzed. Research on health issues, such as the increased numbers of thyroid cancer cases in Ukraine and Belarus in those who were children at the time of the disaster in 1986, will also be reviewed and compared to current health issues in Fukushima. Certain weather patterns distributed the radioactive materials over specific geographic areas that later came to be known as “hot-spots.” The study will evaluate the evacuations handled by the respective governments and the “exclusion zone” measures put in place by each. While the nuclear disasters at Chernobyl and Fukushima have been compared as similar in disaster level, research and data collection of the fallout zones, or hot spots, reveal that the two disasters are not of an equal level. Factors such as air temperature, political and social responses all contributed to the disparity in levels of the two disasters.

Paul Robertson, Utah Valley University Physical Sciences Evaluation of Utah Valley University’s stormwater plan reveals a simple system meant to collect stormwater into the city storm drains as quickly as possible. It is, however, vastly underdeveloped and many unspectacular summer and springtime storms have resulted in property damage, including those of nearby residents. The stormwater runoff has also collected concentrated amounts of hydrocarbons, nitrogen and heavy metals which are being fed directly into Utah Lake, acting as a significant source of pollution for the lake environment. The intentions of this project are to design a stormwater management plan that can withstand a 100 year, 24 hour event and prevent pollutants from entering the Utah Lake system. Mapping and modeling of the University’s storm drains will be accomplished using GIS as well as modeling for efficient retention sites on campus. Captured stormwater will then be used for a variety of functions here on campus and runoff into the adjacent lake will be reduced to insignificant values. Decisions regarding the ultimate implementation of this project will work in concordance with the University’s master plan of future development in order to realistically secure a reliable, low-maintenance system.

Henintsoa Rakotoarisaona, Utah Valley University Physical Sciences The Jordan River is the only outlet of Utah Lake. Historically, this area has been impacted by urbanization, long term mining operations, industrial and agricultural activities resulting in potentially high levels of trace metal pollutants at the headwaters of the Jordan River. Since trace metals are known to be toxic at elevated levels, it is important to evaluate their concentration, distribution and mobility in this sensitive area in order to determine risk to wildlife, humans and downstream users of the Jordan River. Three core samples from 0 cm to 95 cm in depth were collected at the east (industrialized area), west (newly developed area) and north (an island barrier) sides of the outlet of Utah Lake. Each sample was digested in triplicates in the Microwave Accelerated Reaction System (MARS) using US Environmental Protection Agency Method 3052 and analyzed in the Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) for As, Cd, Cr, Mn, Pb, Cu, Zn, Co, and Ni. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to analyze the data, with a boneferroni adjustment made for multiple comparisons. The results indicated that the East and North sediments of the Jordan River were significantly (P < 0.5) more heavily impacted by trace metal pollutants than the West side, with the North area accumulating higher levels of the majority of the trace metals or metalloid evaluated. Enrichment of Co, Cr, Pb and Zn was observed on the East sediment at concentrations reaching 10,821, 4.07, 13.7, 12.7, 119.4 mg kg-1, respectively. The most substantial elevation in the concentration of trace metals occurred with Cu in the North section of the lake, increasing from 349 mg kg-1 at 0-15 cm to 1383 mg kg-1 cm depth, showing high mobility, followed by Zn which increased from 46.7 mg kg-1 at 0-15 cm to 592 mg kg-1 30-45 cm depths. The enrichment of these trace metals in the East and North sediments at the outlet of Utah Lake pose a health risk to animals and humans who use these areas for recreational or agricultural purposes.

Melissa Warren, Weber State University Physical Sciences Spot tests are commonly utilized as presumptive qualitative tests for detecting chemical substances. Such tests are the basis for detection of illegal drugs or for cleaning validations in manufacturing systems. In this study we evaluate the use of Scott’s reagent and Mandelin reagent for the detection of trace quantities of diphenhydramine (Benadryl). These reagents have been reported to give false positive tests for illegal drugs such as ketamine (cocaine) when diphenhydramine is present. Our studies were focused on enhancing the detection limits of these reagents and their application of swab tests for diphenhydramine. We report the limits of detection and swab techniques that enhance selectivity and sensitivity for this analyte.

Monika Miller, Weber State University Physical Sciences Nutritionally important minerals are more readily absorbed by living systems when they are combined with organic acids. These combined metal-organic acid complexes are called chelate metals or chelates. The synthetic processes utilized to prepare these mineral chelates adds significant cost to the final product. Occasionally, manufactures sell cheaper dry blends of unreacted minerals and organic acids to gain an unfair competitive advantage in the market place. There are few if any reliable methods for reliable measurement of the extent of chelation between metals and organic acids. We report our successful application of Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) for the quantitative determination of chelation in solid samples of mineral chelates.

Sergio Arellano, Snow College Mathematical Sciences Why is music so pleasant to? In Western music, we have used what is called the “tempered scale” for centuries, and even though it has gone through changes, it is still largely based around the mathematical principles that Pythagoras created two thousand years ago. Is it possible that the explanation to this phenomenon has to do with the mathematical basis of music, which is unconsciously perceived by the brain? The human brain is known for detecting the underlying mathematical patterns present in many non-music related disciplines, such as visual arts. Independent of the music world, there is a proportion called the Golden Ratio or Phi. It is found in art and geometry, because human eyes tend to find that this proportion produces beauty. This is not a coincidence; this proportion is found everywhere around us, especially in nature. With this in mind, it makes sense to search for the Golden Ratio in the tempered scale to explain the mind’s intuitive appreciation of music. This research discovered the surprising fact that there is a Phi relationship between the first and third degree of the major scale, in terms of the frequency of sounds. The relationship is this: the sum of the frequencies of the notes of the minor III chord divided by the sum of the frequencies of the major I chord in any given major key, tends to be Phi. Another very surprising result was the importance of the number 24 in the frequencies of the major scale. These two particularities help to shed light on why human ears have an untaught comprehension of music; the underlying perception of mathematical relationships by the mind are related to the natural appreciation of it.

Amy Gifford and Brennon Bauer, Southern Utah University Mathematical Sciences Mutualism is the way two organisms of different species exist in a relationship in which each individual benefits from the activity of the other. We study a mathematical model of mutualism. The stability of the steady state solutions of this system will be analyzed. Also, we give some numerical experiments that verify the theoretical results for those steady solutions.