2015 Abstracts

Shireen Partovi, Utah Valley University Physical Sciences The normal flora of microbiota that resides in our gastrointestinal tract acts as a community and provides a number of functions such as assisting with the breakdown of waste, protecting our tissues and organs from invading species, and playing a role in the immune response. These microorganisms may also play a role in altering our brain chemistry and changing our psychology and behavior. This mechanism is considered to be due to their ability to produce neurochemicals that mimic those produced by our own bodies. Therefore, it is possible that antibiotics may have a detrimental effect on our gut flora, thereby inducing a host of undesired side effects. These described side effects may include changes in normal psychological behavior, such as the presentation of anxiety or depression. This hypothesis is increasingly relevant as antibiotic resistance is rising due to poor education regarding bacterial infections and as the appeasement of insistent patients continues. This research aims to illustrate the harm that over-medicating may have on our behavior as a result of afflicted gut microbiota. This research will use peer reviewed journal articles that include studies and experiments to determine the influence of gut microbiota on brain chemistry and therefore psychology and behavior. Specifically, the exact implications of consistent antibiotic use and the impact on gut microbiota will be examined and a correlation will be presented. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to illustrate this problem in regards to the healthcare industry and the over-medication of patient.

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.

Ashley Ostraff, Utah Valley University Physical Sciences Utah Lake has a long history of being impacted by anthropogenic activities like, mining, agriculture, and surrounding industry. All of these activities have contributed to the runoff that feeds the lake, increasing the likelihood that this area contains high levels of trace metals, nitrogen, andphosphorus. Utah Lake contains two subspecies of phragmites, a wetland reed, one native (P. americanus) and one non-native (P. australis). P. australis is replacing the native species at an alarming rate. P. australis is known to have a deeper root system than the native subspecies, because of this we suspect that this allow access to a less competitive soil level giving this subspecies greater opportunity for nutrient and trace metal uptake. By comparing the root zone soils of both subspecies we hope to gather results that support this hypothesis. Examination of the roots will also showthe potential influence the soil conditions have on their growth and development. This study will compare nutrient and trace metal uptake of each subspecies to determine impact. Other factors that will be assessed include plant physiology, carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N), bioconcentration factor (BCF) and total trace metal content in tissues of both species. Samples of P. americanus and P. australis will be collected at 9 locations in Utah Lake. Soil samples at the root zone of each plant will also be evaluated. Each sampl e will be digested in the Microwave Accelerated Reaction System and analyzed in the Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) for C, N, P, K, Ag, Al, As, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Ti, and Zn. Results from this study will contribute valuable data to future efforts being used to preserve the biodiversity of the plants and animals that live in and around Utah Lake. The end goal of this student project is to be submitted to peer-reviewed scientific journals for publication and to be presented at academic and scientific conferences.

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.

Kevin Jackman, Utah Valley University Physical Sciences Phragmites australis is a non-native subspecies of wetland reed that was introduced to Utah Lake from Europe during early exploratory settlements and is now outcompeting native flora in the lake’s wetland ecosystem. Utah Lake is a repository for toxic heavy metals from diverse mining operations and industrial operations proximal to the water. International studies have shown Phragmites to have strong potential as a phytoremediator and a reliable biomonitoring species of polluted water and soil, yet no work in this regard has ever been performed in the state of Utah or on Utah Lake. It is by measuring the concentrations of arsenic, lead, and 12 other trace metals within the root and rhizome system of these plants that a measurement of the contamination of the lake can be made, and to determine a quantitative concentration and severity of contamination with regards to public health and safety. If these trace metals are present in excess in the lake and its soils, toxic, and harmful conditions are present and are an issue of health to the natural ecosystem of the lake, as well as the citizens recreating and working throughout the lake on a regular basis. Determination of atomic content evaluation will be performed by the Induced Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer. Future work can then be proposed to remediate the lake, in an effort to improve the human and environmental condition of the area. This project has the interest of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality and relationships have been established for current and future cooperation. The aim of this project is to be published and presented on a peer-reviewed level in scientific journals and at conferences.

Brandon Davies, Utah Valley University Physical Sciences Epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) is the sixth most common cancer in US women. The long-term cure rates are low due to the lack of reliable biomarkers for early disease detection, resulting in advanced stage diagnosis. Approximately 75%-80% of ovarian cancers are diagnosed at stages IIIV with a 10% 5-year survival rate despite aggressive treatments. Claudin proteins are being studied as possible biomarkers as they are aberrantly overexpressed in EOC tumors. The Claudin family of proteins are a main component of tight junctions in the upper region of epithelial cells that act as gateways for the exchange of water and solutes while also helping determine the cell’s polarity and function. Changes in these proteins cause changes in phenotype and function of normal epithelial cells, such as proliferation control, trans-epithelial resistance, polarity, and solute transport. Claudin-16 is often aberrantly expressed in breast and ovarian cancer, while Claudins 3- and 4 are highly overexpressed in EOC. The location of these proteins is also correlated with oncogenic transformations and cell proliferation. Determining the specific characteristics of these Claudin proteins can prove to be of incredible benefit in cancer treatments. As these proteins are targeted during these therapies, these tight junctions may then send normal signals, which in turn can regulate the cell normally. The C-termini of the Claudins, which are cytoplasmically located, contain a known PDZ-binding motif and may interact with other junction proteins or with proteins involved in interesting signaling pathways. To identify these interacting proteins, we will use the Expresso T7 Cloning System (Lucigen Corp., Middleton, WI) to purify the Claudin-16, -3, and -4 C-terminal tails to use in pull-down assays. This process includes using affinity tags to capture the Claudin tails by FPLC, which can then be analyzed by SDS-PAGE and, ultimately, the corresponding genes cloned and sequenced. This study can potentially provide crucial information in relation to how members of the Claudin family interact with other proteins that are commonly found in tissues that are misregulated in cancer. With this data treatments can be improved to increase the responsiveness of ovarian cancer patients.

Robyn Omer, Utah Valley University Physical Sciences Removal of all malignant tissue during lumpectomy is critical for preventing local recurrence of the breast cancer. Failure to remove all cancer results in 20-40% of lumpectomy patients returning for additional surgery. At Utah Valley University, a method is being developed to detect cancer during the initial surgery to ensure all of the cancer has been removed. Peak density, which is the number of peaks and valleys in a specified spectral range of a high-frequency (HF) ultrasound signal, correlates to breast pathology in lumpectomy specimens. The objective of this study was to determine if the histograms of peak density versus the number of measurements provide information on corresponding breast tissue pathology. High-frequency ultrasonic data were obtained from a blind study of surgical specimens obtained from 73 lumpectomy patients at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah, and South Jordan, Utah. The data were normalized to remove bias between patients. The ultrasonic signals were converted to spectra using a Fourier transform. Peak densities were calculated from the spectra by counting the number of peaks and valleys in the 20-80 MHz range. This was achieved by counting where the slopes of the spectra (their derivatives) crossed zero. A histogram was created by assigning each peak density value to a bin, and then counting the number of measurements that fell within that bin. The histogram of the peak densities produced an asymmetric Gaussian-type distribution with a range of peak density values from 0 to 27 and a mode of 5. Using threshold values determined from a pilot study for differentiating pathology with peak density, it was determined that the peak of the distribution (5-6) corresponded to normal tissue pathology, the shoulders of the distribution (0-4 and 7-10) corresponded to abnormal pathologies, and the tail of the distribution (11-27) corresponded to malignant tissue types. These correlations matched the types of specimens tested, specifically tumors, margins, and lymph nodes. The correlations also provide a measure of the success of removing malignant tissue and achieving negative margins during lumpectomy procedures. Using histograms to analyze the data not only provides a new approach for differentiating tissue pathology, but also provides a statistical measure of the success of lumpectomy procedures performed by a specific surgeon or at a specific institution.

Zachary Coffman, Utah Valley University Physical Sciences Breast density describes the proportion of connective tissue versus the fat tissue in the breast. Studies have shown that women with higher breast density are four to five times more likely to develop breast cancer than women with lower breast densities, (www.women.org/BreastCancer). Higher breast densities have proven to make current breast cancer imaging and detection more difficult. A pilot study done at the Huntsman Cancer institute showed that the ultrasonic parameter peak density, generated by high-frequency (HF) ultrasound (20-80 MHz), was sensitive to breast tissue pathology. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of breast density on ultrasound wave propagation from high frequency ultrasound using phantoms that mimic the histology of breast tissues. Phantoms were created from a mixture of distilled water, agarose powder, and 10X TBE stock solution. In order to simulate breast tissue histology and breast density, polyethylene microspheres were embedded into the phantoms in layers, totaling 4 layers per phantom. The polyethylene microsphere size (90-106 μm diameter) was kept constant within each phantom while the weight percent concentration of the microspheres varied (0.00g to 0.06g). Pitch-catch and pulse-echo measurements were acquired using 50-MHz transducers (Olympus NDT, V358-SU, 50 MHz, 0.635-cm diameter active element), a HF pulser-receiver (UTEX, UT340), and a 1-GHz digital oscilloscope (Agilent DSOX3104A). Glycerol (Genesis Scientific) was used as a coupling agent between the transducers and the phantoms. Spectra were derived from the data, giving peak density (the number of peaks and valleys in a specified spectral range), velocity, and attenuation values. The results showed that peak density did not start to show a trend until phantoms of 0.03g concentrations, where it increased from a value of 14.0 peaks (0.03g) to 18.7 peaks (0.06g). Velocity showed a statistically significant increase with greater polyethylene microsphere concentration, from 1508 m/s for 0.00g to 1536 m/s for 0.06g. No trends were observed for attenuation. These results indicate that higher levels of scattering centers in dense breast tissues will be detectable with high frequency ultrasound. This additionally shows that high frequency ultrasound may also be sensitive to greater amounts of connective tissue present in dense breast pathologies. High frequency ultrasound is sensitive to the weight percent of polyethylene microspheres. Future research is planned to further understand this relationship, including repeat studies and studies of phantoms containing chopped polyethylene fibers and triple the polyethylene microsphere concentrations to more closely simulate dense breast tissues.

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.

Amy Fair Brother, Utah Valley University Physical Sciences Results from a 2010 pilot study indicated that multiple parameters in high-frequency (HF) ultrasound spectra (20-80 MHz) correlate to a range of tissue pathologies in surgical margins from breast conservation surgery (BCS). One of these parameters, peak density, was particularly effective at discriminating between normal, atypical, and malignant patholUtah Conference on Undergraduate Research 2015 100 ogies. Subsequently, Utah Valley University and the Huntsman Cancer Institute initiated a follow-up study to further investigate this approach. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of HF ultrasound for differentiating malignant tissue from normal tissue in BCS surgical margins. Methods: A 73-patient blind study was conducted with conventional pathology used as the gold standard for assessing the HF ultrasound method. Specimens were delivered by the surgeon’s team immediately following resection and ultrasonically tested outside the surgical suite. The margins were approximately 3x20x20 mm, and were oriented using a small staple inserted by the surgeon in one corner and a stitch on one side. The margin was tested at 2-5 locations on the specimens using our methodology and then sent to pathology for their analysis. 498 specimens were tested from 73 patients. That corresponded to 1112 positions collected from the margins. The data was then analyzed for malignancy using peak density, and then correlated with the traditional pathology. Results: Results from the current study indicate that peak density can differentiate between malignant and nonmalignant pathologies with an accuracy of 73.8%. The correlation between pathology and peak density has a high level of statistical significance compared to random chance, with p = 0.000078 (Fisher’s Exact test). The results also provide data for improving the technique. For example, approximately 3 times more false positives were observed than false negatives, indicating the peak density threshold used for identifying malignant pathology is most likely too low and should be adjusted to a higher value. Conclusions: Results from this study showed that HF ultrasound has the potential to provide rapid, intraoperative evaluation of surgical margins, thereby decreasing the number of additional surgeries for patients and thus increasing the quality and efficacy of surgical treatment for breast cancer.

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.

Benjamin Finch, Utah Valley University Physical Sciences The Breast Cancer Research Laboratory at Utah Valley University has been using high-frequency ultrasound to test the pathology of surgical margins from breast cancer conservation surgery. Their studies have shown that high-frequency ultrasound may be sensitive to a range of breast pathologies. The ultrasonic parameter that has been shown to be the most sensitive to pathology is the number of peaks (peak density) in the frequency spectra from the captured waveforms. During testing, the ultrasonic transducers apply an amount of force to the tissues that can vary depending on the researcher. The central question of this study was to determine the effect that the applied force has on the final peak density reading, and therefore the reliability of the results. In order to determine the correlation of force and peak density, an experiment was designed to measure the force applied to tissue by the ultrasonic transducer during testing and to simultaneously measure the applied force while collecting ultrasonic waveforms. An Arduino Uno R3 instrument was obtained as well as an Interlink Electronics FSR 406 force sensor pad. The Arduino was programmed to read the voltage from the FSR sensor and use that information to provide force (N) and pressure (N/cm2) data from the stage. Peak density readings from bovine mammary tissue (very similar to human breast tissue) were acquired using varying amounts of force. The results obtained exhibited significant changes in peak density with applied force. The results showed that if the applied force is under 1.18N, the peak density will fluctuate significantly and will therefore give inconsistent results. However, if the force applied is greater than 1.18N, the peak densities will maintain a relatively consistent form. In conclusion, if the force applied during testing is above 1.18N, the waveforms captured from high-frequency ultrasound testing on breast cancer tissues will provide consistent and reliable results, thus improving the quality of the data and accuracy of diagnosis.

Cameran Mecham, Utah Valley University Physical Sciences Introduction:

Michaelle Cadet, Utah Valley University Physical Sciences Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States. Tumor angiogenesis and its inhibition is an important aspect of oncology and the treatment of cancer. High-frequency ultrasound (10-100 MHz) is particularly sensitive to small vascular structures that are close in size to the ultrasound wavelength (15-150 _m). The ability to rapidly determine the degree of vascularization in small animals in vivo would provide a useful characterization tool for breast cancer studies. The objective of this study was to determine if direct ultrasonic measurements in the 10-100 MHz range could be used as a vascularization assay for breast tumors and other tissues. To accomplish this, six mice from the Huntsman Cancer Institute (Salt Lake City, Utah) with grafted breast cancer tumors (three control and three treated with an angiogenesis inhibitor called Avastin) were tested in vivo using through-transmission ultrasonic measurements. A second study was also performed at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology (Vienna, Austria), where the femoral artery in one hind leg of each of sixteen mice was ligated and tested over the time period of eight days. Eight of the ligated limbs were treated with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) while the remaining eight ligated limbs were allowed to grow ischemic. The unligated limbs were controls. Results from the Huntsman Cancer Institute study indicated that breast tumors in Avastin-treated mice showed higher ultrasound velocities than control tumors. This can be ascribed to the vasculature in the nontreated tumors creating greater wave scattering in the tissue, thus decreasing the velocity. Results from the Boltzmann Institute study indicated that in mice with ligated femoral arteries, ultrasonic signals from ischemic limbs displayed a decrease in wave velocity over the test period as compared to the VEGF-treated limbs. However, both the ischemic and VEGF-treated limbs showed decreases in ultrasonic attenuation during the entire test period. Results from Avastin-treated mouse tumors and mouse limbs with ligated femoral arteries revealed that high-frequency ultrasound holds potential for measuring angiogenesis in vivo.

Nicole Cowan, Utah Valley University Physical Sciences Breast cancer is the second most prevalent cancer among women, affecting one out of eight women in their lifetime. The ability to differentiate between malignant and normal tissues during breast cancer surgery would enable the surgeon to remove all of the cancer from the affected region in the breast, thereby reducing the risk of recurrence and the need for subsequent surgeries. A pilot study conducted at the Huntsman Cancer Institute showed that high-frequency ultrasound (20-80 MHz), and in particular the ultrasonic parameter peak density, was sensitive to breast tissue pathology. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of tissue microstructure on peak density using phantoms that mimic the histology of breast tissue. Phantoms were created from a mixture of distilled water, Knox gelatin, and Metamucil fiber. In order to simulate breast tissue histology and terminal ductal lobular units, polyethylene microspheres were embedded into the phantoms in layers, totaling 4 layers per phantom. The volume percent of polyethylene microspheres was kept constant in each phantom while varying microsphere sizes (58-925 μm diameter). Pitch-catch and pulse-echo measurements were acquired using 50-MHz transducers (Olympus NDT, V358-SU, 50 MHz, 0.635-cm diameter active element), a HF pulsar-receiver (UTEX, UT340), and a 1-GHz digital oscilloscope (Agilent DSOX3104A). Glycerol (Genesis Scientific) was used as a coupling agent between the transducers and the phantoms. Spectra were derived from the data, giving peak density (the number of peaks and valleys in a specified spectral range) and attenuation values. In a previous study, histology- mimicking phantoms were fabricated where the weight percent of polyethylene microspheres was kept constant, but the microsphere diameter was varied. The former study showed a clear trend of higher peak density values for smaller diameters, but no trend for attenuation. In contrast, the phantoms from this study showed no trend in peak density, but a clear trend of higher attenuation values for larger microspheres. The results show that specific changes in tissue microstructure affect the parameters of peak density and attenuation differently. Changes in the number of scatterers and in their size, as in the previous study, affected peak density most significantly. In contrast, changes solely in the size of the scatterers, but not in their number, affected attenuation most significantly. These results are consistent with attenuation results for lobular carcinoma in the pilot study. These results show that peak density and attenuation are complementary parameters, and could be used together to characterize a variety of tissue pathologies

Frank Robertson, Diego Flores, Marcia Ventura, Jordan Sgro and Veronica Taite, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Behavioral research has often focused on the impact of reinforcers on behavior. Punishers are occasionally used alongside reinforcers, and the relative strength of the two is a question of major importance in behavioral psychology. The matching law is a mathematical formula that attempts to evaluate the relative influence of two sets of reinforcers and punishers. The generalized matching law contains two parameters, sensitivity, which indexes how quickly participants respond to differences between reinforcement frequencies, and bias, which indicates how much one reinforcer is preferred over another. We have developed a new method for data analysis in situations containing both reinforcers and punishers, which expands the generalized matching law by a single parameter. The new parameter is punishment bias, where a value between 0 and 1 indicates the relatively greater effect of reinforcers (versus punishers) on behavior. A value greater than 1 indicates that behavior is impacted more by punishers. If this variation on the generalized matching law is valid, it would provide a simple metric for use in situations where negative and positive events both occur. Ten participants were asked to play a video game in which they moved a submarine around obstacles and collected coins. They could choose to do so on either the left or right side of the screen. Variable- interval reinforcement schedules were operative on both sides of the screen and changed every six minutes. Punishers were added to the left-side reinforcers in half of these schedules. We recorded each participant’s mouse clicks on each side, as well as the reinforcers and punishers they received. We analyzed this data using both the new method and the generalized matching law. We found that the new version fit the data better than the standard version and present it as a possible tool for future studies of the joint use of reinforcers and punishers.

Jessica Andrus, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences The Himba, a traditional-living tribe in Namibia, have only recently been introduced to formal education. Formal education has a tremendous influence on their culture, as it is starting to drastically efface their traditional way of life. As they are increasingly sending more and more of their children to school, it appears that their traditional culture is becoming less practiced and more of a conceptualized object, or as I call it: formalized. By formalizing it into this conceptualized object, they are able to hold on to their traditional culture and embrace education at the same time, but they have to forsake many of the regular everyday practices of their traditional culture. As the Himba are striving to maintain their traditional culture and embrace formal education they are transforming their traditional culture into this formalized object.

Arthur Wardle, Matthew Crabtree and Melissa Funk, Utah State University Social and Behavioral Sciences The 18th amendment arose out of a larger temperance movement in which alcohol was commonly viewed as the root cause of a litany of social problems. However, following the passage of the 18th amendment, neither alcohol consumption nor the related social problems dissipated, demonstrating the failure of the amendment, and eventually leading the U.S. to the 21st amendment, undoing the prohibition. Interestingly, the 18th amendment took effect only one year before the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints made the “Word of Wisdom,” a church scripture which, among other things, bans the consumption of alcohol, an absolute requirement for full participation in the religion. This religious prohibition enjoyed far greater success than the legal prohibition of the 18th amendment. We analyze the quantitative differences in the efficacy of each prohibition, as well as the various incentive changes caused by each institution. To do this, we will examine historic drunkenness arrest records in both the U.S. as a whole, and Utah specifically, which has been demonstrated by previous research to be an accurate way of estimating alcohol consumption. Then, by taking a look at historic documents, we will examine the incentives of changing behavior, and discuss the efficiency of legal versus non-legal restrictions when attempting to change behavior. We will also examine the contrast in reactions to external regulation stemming from the government, and regulation stemming from a religious organization, and the powerful social implications that follow a restriction that is both external and internal. We find that a religious organization, with its ability to alter the basis of a group’s value system, can change a group’s behavior more easily than legal regulation alone.

Anthony F. King, Zackary Bjerregaard, Matthew Booth, Shannon Clugston, Miles Dittmore, Stephen

Mira Reynolds, Craig Bryan and AnnaBelle Bryan, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Objective:

Emily Hartung, Sarah Higbee, Jordan Sgro, Sarah Hanni, Wendy Kohlmann, Maija Reblin,

Samantha Chandler, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Families are a key element in helping children develop into properly functioning members of society. The relationships that individuals have with the members of their family will greatly influence them throughout their lives. Past work highlights the roles families, and siblings in particular play in the development of antisocial behavior, but it is also important to consider the ways in which the intensification of antisocial behavior (i.e., the initiation of substance use) in adolescence changes and alters trajectories of siblings’ relationships with one another. Thus, in the current study we are examining the longitudinal links between antisocial behavior and adolescents’ sibling relationships. Data for our study come from the Flourishing Families Project, a seven phase longitudinal study of 700 families. Both parents and adolescents reported on the adolescent’s antisocial behavior and adolescents’ reported on their relationship with their closest aged sibling. We are using SAS to conduct growth curve models of sibling relationships over time as moderated by patterns of antisocial behavior. Preliminary analysis suggests that in many cases antisocial behavior is linked to less sibling warmth (r = -.11, p < .01) and greater sibling conflict (r = .22, p < .001). In conclusion we anticipate that our analysis will support the notion of the complexity of family life and that the choices and behavior of an individual family member may have implications for the development of family relationships.

RonJai Staton, Lyndsey Craig, Christy Fiscer, Michelle Hammon, Deborah Decker, Tina Boren, Zac Olson,

Devin Petersen, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences A previous meta-analysis conducted by Holt-Lunstad, Smith, and Layton (2010) indicates that social relationships have an inverse association with risk for mortality. The more friends and family that surround any particular person, the smaller their risk of mortality and the longer they live. Unfortunately, not everyone has a rich social network to draw on. The purpose of the current meta-analysis is to inquire as to whether certain social interventions might be utilized to prolong life expectancy and whether some social interventions result in better outcomes than others. We searched a number of major databases including Medline, Psycinfo, CINAHL, Medic, Social Work Abstracts, Family and Society Studies Worldwide, Alt Health Watch, and Google Scholar using specific search strings to search for articles with social intervention mortality data. Articles were excluded if they did not contain mortality or social support, if the social support was not implemented, if mortality and social support were not compared, or if they contained suicide/violent death data. Review/qualitative studies were excluded, as were studies with non-human subjects, and articles not in English, Spanish, Portuguese, or French. Several smaller meta-analyses that we have come across suggest that social interventions do not significantly increase survival time. However, these studies on average draw from under 10 studies, our meta-analysis analyzes of 50 articles. Our preliminary findings suggest that there is substantial variability in findings across studies. Although the overall average indicated a mild benefit from the social support interventions (OR = 1.44, p < .01), the heterogeneity of effect sizes was substantial. Under some circumstances the intervention actually was associated with increased rates of mortality, even though on average, odds of survival increased 44% relative to control groups. This meta-analytic review provides support for the general use of social intervention groups.

Spencer Waters and Hannah Page, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Variations in the μ-opioid-receptor (OPRM1) gene have been shown to affect most mammalian species mother-infant relationships and more recent studies show it may also modulate it in at least some primates Macaca mulatta (rhesus monkeys). Research shows that variation in the OPRM1 SNPs in rhesus macaques (C77G) is linked to relational behavioral differences, specifically within mothers and infants. Individuals homozygous for the ancestral C allele exhibit more “normal” behaviors, attachment, and oxytocin (OT) levels, whereas individuals heterozygous for the G allele exhibit greater variation in OT levels, as well as the type and quality of bonding1. Behavioral data was collected by the National Institute of Health (NIH) between 1996 and 2005. Individual monkeys in the study were genotyped for the previously characterized OPRM1 genotype. Repeated measures analyses were run using weekly measures of mother-infant behaviors across the first 24 weeks of the infants’ lives, using the mother’s genotype and infant’s sex as between-subject factors. A second series of analyses were performed using the infant’s genotype and infant sex as between-subject factors. Leave by mother (LVMO) and Reject by mother (REJM) was associated with mother genotype and infant sex at p<0.05. Passivity (PASS) was associated with infant genotype and infant sex at p=.04. Four other behaviors (Restraint, receive groom by mother, receive groom by infant, and approach by mother) were found to be nearly significant (p> 0.05<="" a="" allele="" and="" at="" behavior="" behavioral="" bonding="" by="" compared="" copy="" div="" environment="" evidence="" female="" g="" gene="" genotype,="" greater="" her="" infant="" infants="" infants,="" infants.="" infant’s="" influenced="" interact="" interaction.="" is="" least="" lower="" male="" more="" mothers="" mother’s="" of="" one="" our="" positive="" quality="" results="" sex,="" show="" specifically,="" tend="" that="" the="" their="" these="" to="" toward="" treatment="" variability,="" with="" x=""> .entry-content 2015-UCUR-Abstracts

Scot Sweet, Dixie State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Imagine a world where a revolutionary model of healthcare was created at an affordable cost offering higher quality care. This niche can be filled with a concierge approach. The concierge medical model allows patients 24/7 physician access by paying physicians a monthly retainer fee. In turn, physicians are able to take on fewer patients and spend more quality time with them. This research examines innovative approaches needed in order to successfully market and standardize the concierge model. Because many potential clients and companies seeking health insurance plans for their employees are unfamiliar with the concierge model; educational marketing strategies are required to achieve the paradigm shift in health care delivery modes. Successful marketing of the concierge model relies on the customers understanding of their ability under the concierge model, to be proactive instead of passive when it comes to their health. Taking the time to teach them to utilize a concierge model allows them to believe in a system built around the patient’s needs. This model has been successfully marketed to business owners with 5-15 employees. By educating owners on the cost savings combined with quality service. Offering a free trial allows the skeptics to understand the model. In current healthcare systems physicians treat patients from a legal perspective. Government regulations and third party insurance billing controls the services patients receive. This perception can be broken when people understand that insurance is used for big catastrophic accidents, not day-to-day needs.

Sydney Willis, and Caren Frost, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Thousands of refugees come to the United States each year. As they become accustomed to life in the United States, immediately they face a new challenge, the health care system. There are not many accessible resources for refugee women when they first arrive, so women’s healthcare, specifically, family planning gets forgotten. It is one of the most important aspects of reproductive health; it impacts the mother, the current family members and the future family members. The current family planning curriculum is not comprehensive for refugee women of every demographic because each culture has different needs and background. Working with two refugee populations, Congolese and Somali, in Salt Lake City and incorporating the seven domains of women’s health, we created a cumulative family planning curriculum that will increase accessibility to services and positively impact the women and their family’s health. This curriculum will give the state of Utah a culturally cumulative family planning curriculum that will positively affect the health of all members of refugee families and help improve the healthcare of Utah as a whole. Curriculum outlined: Offers a wide selection of planning methods that are accessible to all, Reflects high standards of medical practice, Remains sensitive to cultural ideals and conditions. Provides sufficient information about proper use or possible side effects, Addresses women’s other reproductive health needs, Emphasizes benefits and importance of family planning. Curriculum aims: Have a full range of services and education available in a safe environment. Enhance information and acceptance among communities. Strengthen referral system for follow up and improve long term care. Train local women to be family planning advocates for educators and advocates: Refugee profiles, Staff training, Community education maps, Clientele follow up charts, Outline of supply chain system.

Tyson Winder, Dixie State University Social and Behavioral Sciences The purpose of this research is to evaluate various influences that social networking sites can have on families, with a particular focus on adolescents within the family. The research focuses primarily on the social networking site Facebook for the evaluation. The information evaluated will be viewed through the lens of structural functionalism. Structural functionalists place strong emphasis on the role of the nuclear family in society. In this perspective the family is viewed as the primary source for socialization and as a result any exterior or interior influences on the family can drastically alter that socialization process. Studies will be presented for the advantages and disadvantages of social networking sites on the family. Possible future implications of such influences will be taken in to consideration as well.

Erica Armstrong, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Combat exposure is associated with increased mental health symptom severity among military personnel, whereas unit cohesion is associated with decreased severity. However, to date no studies have examined these relationships among U.S. Air Force pararescuemen, a unique and specialized career field that serves in both medical and combatant capacities. Self-report survey data regarding depression symptoms, post-traumatic stress (PTSD) symptoms, perceived unit support, and exposure to traditional combat experiences (e.g., firefights) and medical-related consequences of combat (e.g., injuries and human remains) were collected from 194 pararescuemen from seven rescue squadrons. Levels of combat exposure were comparable to previously-published findings from combat units, and levels of medical exposure were comparable to previously-published findings among military medical professionals. Medical exposure intensity showed a stronger relationship with PTSD severity (β = .365, p = .018) than combat exposure intensity (β = .136, p = .373), but neither combat nor medical exposure was associated with depression severity (β’s < .296, p’s > .164). Unit support was associated with less severe PTSD (β = -.402, p < .001) and depression (β = -.259, p = .062) symptoms and did not moderate the effects of combat or medical exposure. Medical-related stressors contribute more to PTSD among pararescuemen than traditional combat-related stressors. Unit support is associated with reduced PTSD and depression severity regardless of intensity of warzone exposure among pararescuemen.

Sami Safiullah, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates almost exclusively rely on foreign and migrant workers to supply the demand for work in their private sectors, particularly in the construction and domestic labor industries. These countries primarily utilize imported labor from emerging economies in South and Southeast Asia including the Philippines, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Although there are some attempts on the government level in both labor-host and labor-home countries to regulate how these workers are distributed and treated, there are many other factors that contribute to this regulation on a much stronger level. These include consumer preference in the GCC host countries, private employer minimum wage caps, and recruiting agency actions in the labor-home countries. This paper examines these factors in depth, beginning with the private employers who operate under the Kafala temporary-worker system, and then studying the private recruitment agencies in the laborhome countries who survey and assess their worker supplies to meet demands in the GCC private sectors. To better understand this complex and nuanced dynamic, and how it impacts the migrant labor market on both microeconomic and macroeconomic levels, the paper will then discuss the relationships these private entities have with both labor-host and labor-home governments, individual contract-bound workers from the labor-home countries, and consumers in the labor- host countries. After considering a proposed minimum-wage model from the Philippines and a tourism expansionary policy from Sri Lanka, the paper will summarize a series of proposals for how to more effectively regulate this migrant labor market in order to provide workers with higher quality and humane provisions while working abroad, without adversely affecting the strict financial decision making processes in the GCC private sector, and the delicate relationships between these labor-host and labor-home governments.

Zachary Olson, Michelle Hammon, Lyndsey Craig, RonJai Staton, Tina Brough, Christy Fiscer, Deborah

Madeleine Clark, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Traditional diets consumed by Congolese refugees are healthier than those consumed by Americans. Their traditional diet is made up of fresh foods that they cook themselves rather than processed foods or take-out. Unfortunately, Congolese refugees quickly adapt to the fast and processed food culture here in the United States and their diets become Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research 2015 113 unhealthy. The specific variables and choices that lead to this shift are not well studied. The purpose of my research is to find out what foods they initially buy when they come to the US and how their food selection gradually changes. When the research is complete, a food plan will be constructed to encourage preservation of the traditional diet, as well as warn against unhealthy food habits. My method of inquiry is to observe the Congolese refugee population in the environment of the supermarket. By going with them to the markets, I observe how they navigate an unfamiliar food market and choose what foods that to eat. In exploring dietary habits, it is essential to consider social, economical, as well as nutritional aspects. What I have found thus far is that children have a major influence on the processed foods that parents purchase. The kids are rapidly integrated into the schools and are exposed to the junk foods that other kids bring. Another factor is the expense of fresh foods versus cheap frozen pizzas. Food prices make it difficult for preserving traditional diets. Food is an essential element in social bonding, and expressing a positive identity. With more than 40,000 refugees in Salt Lake City, it is important for these people to keep this part of their culture upon immigrating to Utah. Food education for immigrants will preserve healthy habits from their food traditions as well as strengthen community bonds.

Kody Myers, Utah State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Reaction time (RT) represents the amount of time it takes to process a stimulus and program an appropriate response. An increase in the complexity of a response can yield an increase in RT indicating the need for greater preparation (Christina and Rose, 1985). Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) typically exhibit impairments in motor control such as opening the hand in advance of a grasp (Fabbri-Destro et al., 2009; Schmitz et al., 2003). These deficits may arise from impairment in the sequencing aspects of motor acts (Cattaneo et al., 2007). Impairment in action preparation may be reflected in increased RT when compared to typically developing (TD) children. Five children with ASD and three TD children were tested on a joint-action motor planning task that required them to reach for, lift and hand an object to a researcher. Some trials required the subject to manipulate the object in order to aid the researcher. RT was measured from the start of the command word used to the lifting of digits #2-4. We hypothesized that RT would be longer for the trials that required manipulation of the object and when ASD trials were compared to the controls. RT was longer for the ASD subjects compared to the controls. However, in the trials that required manipulation versus those that did not, the RT was smaller for the control group but similar for the ASD group. In addition, for tasks where the object needed to be used, the hammer object elicited a quicker reaction time than the stick for both control subjects and those with ASD suggesting that motor planning issues in ASD (Eigsti, 2013; Fabbri-Destro et al., 2009) might be facilitated by using tools with inherent action properties (e.g., the handle of the hammer facilitates grasping).

Stephen Anderson and Cat Stewart, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Research shows that infant temperament can serve as a predictor of childhood, adolescent, and to some extent, adult social behaviors. Because infant temperament is thought to be the foundation for personality and behavior, it is important to understand factors that influence the development of infant temperament. At the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC), infant rhesus macaques undergo a bio-behavioral assessment used to evaluate temperament. Infants are evaluated on multiple behaviors, which are used to determine temperament ratings for temperaments such as confidence, gentleness, nervousness, and vigilance. We used data collected from over 2700 infant rhesus monkeys born at the CNPRC between the years of 2001 and 2012. Our goal was to measure whether infant temperament is modulated by “culture”, as measured by differences in the infant’s temperament stratified by home cage (a large open field cage that houses about 100 to 150 animals). Twenty-two cages were included in the analysis, with each cage housing from 25 to 210 infants .We hypothesized that based on difference in treatment between cages, infants would display temperaments related to cage culture. Our analysis showed that the cage social environment significantly predict infant temperament across each of the temperamental traits measured. Our findings suggest that social environment and culture influences temperament and likely predicts future behavior.

Tessa Reber, Dixie State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Music education can be used to help students with autism control emotion and build cognitive, behavioral, social and communicative developmental skills. By achieving musical ambitions, autistic students develop self-efficacy that leads to confidence which reflects in their lifestyle and attitude. This paper draws upon primary and secondary research for evidence of conducted cases with autism spectrum disorder students and the implications of music involvement. Methodology focuses on providing the student with a safe environment for learning in the following ways: (1) Teaching the basics of musical grammar aides in cognizance of areas such as math and reading; (2) The embodied affective symbolism that music possesses provides an opportunity for the student to indicate internal emotion; (3) Sharing and performing of music builds self-efficacy and suitable behavior of physical boundaries; (4) Social and communicative effects of music provide the student with the ability to build relationships of similar interests. This includes an increase of appropriate verbal interactions and coping with frustration or anxiety. The summative effects of these combined efforts allow individuals of all ages and abilities on the Autism Spectrum discover the inspirational power of music and the influence it has in their lives.

Madalyn Page, Brandi Allred, and David Byers, Utah State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Relative abundances of small mammals often monitor environmental conditions due to these animals’ high sensitivity to climatic fluctuations. In this study, we document small mammal remains recovered from recently deposited owl pellets collected in Lake Channel, Idaho, located on the Snake River Plain. These pellets were dissected and cataloged according to diagnostic and non-diagnostic osteological characteristics. Following standard procedure, we used the crania and mandibles for MNI calculations, as well as species-level identification of small mammals. After identifying the small mammals down to species level, we compared our results to a habitat profile that suggests the microfaunal remains occupy both xeric and mesic habitats. These results remain consistent with the present day dune and riparian environments found in Lake Channel. Further analyses will compare this present day base-line climatic model to recently excavated small mammal assemblages documenting ancient Lake Channel climates.

Rachel Schwartz, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Within the field of economic development, specifically microfinance institutions, research has suggested that women are safer economic risks than men due to gender cultural differences. In Latin America, this stems from the “machismo” stereotype stating that men are irresponsible and selfish. I seek to prove the cultural stereotypes of “machismo” as an incorrect perception of Paraguayan male culture in Asuncion. Studies have been conducted in Asuncion stating that young Paraguayan males do not identify themselves with the “machismo” culture. Fleming (2013) found that this stereotype was given to men “due to social and cultural expectations and not to actual male identity.” This is of particular interest in showing how Hispanic notions of masculinity may contradict the gendered ideologies implicit in these types of organizations and within their own society and culture. I am finding within my own research findings that this perception is incorrect, and if so, can be used to dispute the notion that male entrepreneurs are bad investments. I conducted in-depth formal and informal interviews and vignettes with 10 male and female business professionals. I created a map of store types and the gender of the store owner of two prominent business locations, Mercado 4 and Avenida Eusebio Ayala. I conducted participate observations at various locations including: the businesses of the informants I interviewed, local hospitals, church schools, bus stations and families (in and out of their home environments).

Frederic Van De Water, Dixie State University Social and Behavioral Sciences In the Fall of 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson chose to escalate American participation in the Vietnam War Conflict based on false intelligence information about the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Once Johnson realized the full truth of the event, he was caught in a public relations trap since he had already announced that the United States had been attacked. Throughout the Johnson administration, there was a large discrepancy between public relations messages to the American people and internal statements about the actual mission, objectives, and success of the war. In the early days of the Nixon administration, Dr. Daniel Ellsberg, a senior consultant from the RAND Corporation, leaked thousands of pages of classified documents about this phenomenon to the New York Times in hopes of bringing an end to the Vietnam War. Since this time, many historians and policy analysts have utilized this limited collection to study the war. In 2011, the Obama Administration had the National Archives release the complete set of documents online. Utilizing this expanded collection, I will compare and contrast how the Johnson administration’s message either conflicted or at times coincided with what was being done in Vietnam as part of wider Department of Defense policy.

Taylor Pike Casara Reeves, Jennifer Sroka, Snow College Social and Behavioral Sciences There is a lot of information about how women’s bodies are portrayed in comic books, we are researching the voice that women have in comic books through time. In our research, we are attempting to find out what women have to say in comic books. We are accomplishing this by taking varying comic books from different publishers, using different teams or superheroes, and analyzing the contribution that women have in each edition. We will also be examining how other characters respond to what the women have to say. Our hypothesis is that women in modern comic books have more to contribute to the plot and the dialogue than women in earlier comic books. However we also suspect that women in comic books will not be given the same input or value as males in the comics.

Grant Holyoak, Utah State University Social and Behavioral Sciences While extensive research has been performed on the effects of climate change on water resources, little analysis has been performed that examines how a population’s belief about climate change affects its residential water use behaviors and its support of local water resources policies. This study, as an appendage of the extensive NSF-funded “iUtah” Project (innovative Urban Transitions and Aridregion Hydro-sustainability), seeks to fill this gap in the research through statistical analysis of a household survey distributed to over 2,000 Utah households during the summer of 2014. Surveys were distributed and collected through a revolutionary “drop-off/pick-up” methodology yielding a highly representative response rate. The project analyzes Utahan responses in both an analytical and an explanatory fashion, demonstrating how belief or disbelief in anthropogenic climate change is predictive of specific residential water use behaviors. The effects of climate change beliefs are also examined as predictors of resident support of potential local water conservation policies. Enormously beneficial to the arena of water conservation policy, this project leads to a better understanding of how climate change beliefs predict water use, allowing for more efficient strategy in the implementation of specific water conservation practices across American communities.

Kara Henrie, Stacia Bourne, and Cecilia Wainryb, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences People draw conclusions about themselves from personal experiences; these are self-event connections (McLean, Pasupathi, and Pals, 2007). Little is known about children’s and adolescent’s self-event connections. The present study examined the types of connections 5-, 10-, and 16-year-olds formed in accounts of two types of moral transgressions: those in which they thought “it was my fault” and those which they thought “it was not my fault.” We hypothesized that connections made with “it is my fault” events would be more negative than those made with “it is not my fault” events and that children and adolescents would form self-event connections that differed with age. We expected 5- and 10-year olds would form morally relevant connections proportionately more often than 16-year-olds, and we expected the 16-year-olds would form proportionately more connections that described a stable sense of self. Forty children in each age group provided two narrative accounts of doing harm: an “it was my fault” experience, and an “it was not my fault” experience. Following these accounts, participants were prompted to construct a self-event connection. Types of self-event connections were coded as follows: (a) temporal scope: back then, now/across time, or going forward; (b) valence: negative or non-negative (e.g., “I am a bad person,” “I am friendly”); (c) relevance: moral or non-moral (e.g., “I am caring,” “I am forgetful”); and (d) generality: general or contextual. Preliminary results indicate that all age groups make negative connections equally frequently and make morally relevant and negative connections more often in “my fault” than in “not my fault” transgressive experiences. Sixteen-year-olds make connections describing the self as continuous across time more often than the other age groups. Finally, 5-year-olds are more likely to make no self-event connections and make connections that are morally relevant.

Michelle Hammon, Lyndsey Craig, RonJai Staton, Christy Fiscer, Tina Brough, Zachary Olson, Deborah

Christine Fiscer, Lyndsey Craig, Michelle Hammon, RonJai Staton, Tina Brough, Deborah Decker,

Grant Holyoak, Utah State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Extant research has identified a number of gaps in the social services available to immigrants in the U.S. and, relatedly, the impacts of these gaps on immigrant well-being. Less research has analyzed the factors that impact how social service organizations respond to the needs of immigrants. Understanding the constraints and opportunities such organizations face is key to identifying ways to successfully remedy critical resource gaps. Data for this study were collected through in-depth interviews with leaders from two dozen Utahan agencies, which offer services ranging from educational promotion to religious humanitarianism. Drawing on organizational theory, this research advances the field by identifying the coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures that social service organizations face and how these pressures shape organizations’ responsiveness to the needs of immigrant communities. Cultural, organizational, and legal variables are identified as inhibitors to the ability of these agencies to meet the needs of this population, and recommendations are given regarding the abatement of these pressures. The policy implications of this analysis are applicable on the local, state, and national levels, and prove essential to the continued debates surrounding the service of this marginalized demographic.

Chalise Carlson, Jason Watson, David L. Strayer, Eve Miller, and Ashley Pyne, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Attention Restoration Theory (ART) promotes the concept that attentional resources requiring focused thoughtfulness are revitalized by the easy or “soft” inherent captivation we experience in natural surroundings. Oppositely, loud urban settings are considered attentional resource eradicators. Atchley, Strayer and Atchley (2012) strengthened the ART premise in an experiment using the Remote Associates Test (RAT), a measure of creative cognition. In their experiment, the RAT scores gathered from backpackers on the last day of a four day hike sans technology were significantly higher than those of a separate group of backpackers before embarking on a similar excursion. In our experiment, we controlled for extraneous variables by presenting the experiment indoors utilizing videos of attention depleting (urban) and attention stimulating (nature) environments. Early trials employing pre-video, post-video RAT scores as the measures of restoration found comparable results to the outdoor studies with a 12% increase in the nature group’s scores and a 5% increase in the urban group’s scores. However, our attempt to increase the effect by doubling the video viewing time resulted in a loss of effect, slanting the data toward the urban group as the most improved. F(1,208)=3.22, p=.07. Moving forward with Attention Restoration Theory, we feel there is validity in outdoor experiments. Immersion into the outdoors likely produces a sufficiently powerful influence which overcomes the RAT’s indirect measure of cognition. Additionally we exert that potential exists for the indoor studies as well. Indoor experiments, lacking the immersive quality, would likely benefit from a more sensitive, direct measure of attention. Further, future studies should also consider utilizing representative stimulus shown to maximally induce restoration, such as scenes evoking “mystery” or “fascination” (ie. a winding path disappearing into a dense forest.) Future application of these specific attributes may intensify indoor results.