2015 Abstracts

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Sam Katz, University of Utah Fine Arts “Tom Stockham: The Father of Digital Audio Recording” is a 30-minute documentary film about former University of Utah professor Thomas Greenway Stockham, Jr., who developed the first commercially viable method of recording sound digitally with extremely high fidelity and made it possible to edit sound and music using a hard drive. Despite the limitations of 60s and 70s computing technology, as well as a number of audio professionals who opposed to the shift to digital audio, Stockham believed in his ideas, persevered, and changed the way we listen to music forever. To this day, these innovations have dramatically altered the shape of the audio recording industry in music, television, and film. Despite Dr. Stockham’s many achievements, his story remains relatively unknown outside of the audio engineering world, even here at the University of Utah and in Salt Lake City, where much of his pioneering work was done. This film brings well-deserved attention to Dr. Stockham’s story. Sadly, Dr. Stockham passed away from early-onset Alzheimer’s in 2004, therefore I portray him by interviewing those who knew him best: his wife, his four children, and his colleagues. I situate Stockham’s life and work in a larger historical context by interviewing historians, musicians, and audio industry professionals, and by mining archival footage, family photos, voice memos, and magazines for relevant material. I travel from Seattle, to Boston, to Lake Powell, to Moab, to Salt Lake City. In homage to Stockham, I use the sound and music of the film, rather than images, as the locus from which meaning and emotional power are derived. The finished film serves as an important educational and historical resource and helps to preserve an important piece of the history of the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, and the State of Utah in general.

Kelly O’Neill, University of Utah Fine Arts After studying the formal qualities of photographic production and the canonic narratives of art history for over three years at the U, I am still left with a pressing question: how can this medium of artistic self-expression also be considered evidence admissible in the court of law powerful enough to elicit felony convictions? How can these mechanical images which I have been trained to see as subjective representations of artistic sentiment in their contrast, tonality, and composition simultaneously be objective records of fact in judicial and scientific discourses? If the medium of photography does exist how is this single operation able to function in such heterogeneous and contradictory discourses? Through my works and research I investigate these and other questions concerning the photographic medium’s ambiguous nature as a simultaneously aesthetic and empirical object. By combining a vast assortment of photographic forms from contemporary GIFs to historical processes such as the Cyanotype, my work reveals the multiplicity of the photographic form and its dubious ability to function within seemingly contradictory systems of knowledge production. Interrogating the processes by which photography has been used and abused, my project does not propose to reveal the truth of photography, but rather underlines the importance of seeing photography in a new and radicalized fashion. The images that I create contemplate the liminal spaces of photography in which its factual, emotional, institutional, and narrative truths commingle; fragmenting not only the solidity of the photograph but also the cultural and institutional systems it predominates. More than just a series of art works, my research seeks to bring a broader discourse on photographic meaning into a serious academic engagement which does not treat it as a simple device for conveying meaning but as a specific and complex subject in its own right.

Steven Saline, Dixie State University Fine Arts Electronic Dance Music or EDM has grown from its underground club origins in the late 70’s to early 80’s to become a widespread phenomenon in pop music. Through out those years, EDM has been categorized in previous terms such as Techno, and Electronica. Today EDM can be heard in music festivals through out the world and is now widely experienced in the US. Much of the genres within EDM such as Dubstep, Hardcore,Trance, etc… were created and have evolved outside the US, however; House and Techno originates here in the US. In this presentation I will discuss the history of some of the popular genres in EDM, present how each of the genres started whether they were created on their own or their evolution from previous electronic music, the history of its origins, how the music evolved in Europe, and its move to the US as we hear the music today. I will present how wide-spread EDM has become and how diverse the various forms are within the genre. I propose that if EDM continues in the direction that it is moving now, EDM will continue to grow among all other forms of music in the world for years to come.

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).

Austin Hernandez, Snow College Social and Behavioral Sciences Student’s study habits are always a matter of concern for both instructors and students themselves. Often times when students are learning a new subject the information the receive about studying centers around how they should study for “that class.” Research has also shown that students regularly overestimate their academic ability. The current research examines what happens if student in introductory courses are given strategy sheets which asks them to examine their study efforts and metacognitive strategies in preparation for the exam. This focuses not on the content, but the process that students use to prepare. The data collected from the students will be analyzed in comparison to their performance on subsequent exams to see if the focus on metacognition can effect a positive result on future exams.

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.

Alexandra Butler, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Utah’s policy of abstinence only sexual education is often discussed as a contentious issue. Some worry that, if not taught in school, young people will not obtain accurate information on sex, contraceptives, and sexually transmitted diseases. Others fear that talking about sex will encourage young people to have premarital sex, breaking norms of society. As a result sex education in Utah excludes essential issues like contraceptive use. However, with today’s technology providing easy information access to all matters, including sexuality, is policy concerning sexual education even a relevant concern? The central questions for this project are how young people in Utah today learn about sex, contraceptives, and STI’s, from whom they learn (school, parents, friends, internet etc.) and how accurate and compete is the information they gain. This was done through a series of qualitative open-ended interviews with Utah High School graduates ages 18 and older, equally representing both sexes. Later, answers from the interviews for key questions were coded for quantitative analysis on how Utah teens obtain their sexual education. This project has greater implications concerning what is taught in Utah sexual education classes. If most teens obtain accurate health information from outside sources, then sexual education classes could be utilized to focus on other areas of information, such as relationships. The information from this study may help educators to structure sex education courses in such a way as to fill the gaps and engage students in discussions that are appropriate and relevant for today’s changing society.

Thomas White and Jason Woodruff, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Exercise has been shown to be an effective adjunct to therapy in combating depression symptoms (Josefsson, Lindwall, and Archer, 2014; Seime and Vickers, 2006; Stathopoulou, Powers, Berry, Smits, and Otto, 2006). However, it can be difficult to motivate individuals who experience depressive symptoms to begin and maintain an exercise routine (Seime and Vickers, 2006). Here we investigate which motivations might help those who demonstrate symptoms of depression to begin and maintain an exercise regimen. This study examined Frequency and Duration of exercise as well as motivation to exercise and relationship to scores on a Depression scale. A sample of 184 BYU undergraduate students taking psychology classes participated in the study. Controlling for gender, we collected data regarding participants’ current Depression symptoms, exercise regimens, and motivations for exercising (for Sociality, Competition, and Fitness). Multiple regression analyses showed Duration and Frequency of exercise were negatively correlated with Depression. Furthermore, motivation for Fitness was positively correlated with Depression scores and Competition was negatively correlated with Depression scores. We also found that Motivation for Sociality was negatively correlated with Depression scores. We explore possible reasons for these findings. Overall, we show that Sociality and Competition may be the most potent motivators in helping college students maintain motivation to exercise. To our knowledge, there are few studies that have examined motivation to exercise in junction with depression symptoms. The results have practical implications for clinicians who may recommend exercise to their clients to encourage exercising to reduce depressive symptoms.

Alexis Ross, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences The new Wee Care Center at Utah Valley University opened its doors to students in January of 2014 with an increased capacity, serving 110 children at any given time, double the number of children the old facility could service. Because Utah Valley University has the lowest women success rate in the state (based on data provided by the Women’s Success Center), one of the primary purposes of expanding the Wee Care Center was to increase women’s success and degree completion at UVU. Currently, the Wee Care Center serves approximately 120 students, however, it is unknown how many other Utah Valley University students need childcare services and are not being served by the Wee Care Center. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of the current services of the students being served by the Wee Care Center, with targeted focus on women, and also to identify the students that could be served, the degree to which their current childcare needs are being met, and how these needs are impacting their student success. This study is a collaborative effort between the Department of Student Leadership and Success Studies, the Women’s Success Center, and the Wee Care Center. The Women’s Success Center will email a digital survey, using Qualtrics, to all Utah Valley University students with children, targeting students with children ages 6 weeks to 5 years, the current population serviced by Wee Care Center. This survey will gather information that will help assess the unmet childcare needs and their influence on student success, including emotional, physical, educational and financial challenges that are commonly presented while simultaneously pursuing a degree and raising children. In addition, the Wee Care Center will administer a paper survey to students being serviced by the center while the students are on site, which should increase the response rate. This survey will explore the ways the Wee Care Center contributes to the student success of those being served by the facility.While it may be too early to determine long-term effects of the Wee Care Center expansion, the objective of this study is to measure the immediate impact on those students who are being served by the new Wee Care Center since its opening, to assess the increased success of students pursuing their educational goals with access to the Wee Care Center, and to explore the level of student success from students with children that are not using the Center.

Stéfanie Morris, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences This study seeks to explain intergenerational changes in reference and selfhood for Telugu parents and for their emigrant children and grandchildren. I argue that individuals have indexical worlds—landscapes of familiarity, signs, meaning, material, and experience. These worlds are open systems, ever changing and growing as the universe and all things in it act and are acted upon (people, animals, rocks, trees, ideas, and more). Challenges often arise when individuals leave an area where they can easily connect to other individuals’ similar indexical worlds. An inability to fully understand the signs and meanings of other contexts or people often causes individuals to feel a sense of dissociation. I argue that for all people, referential worlds connect to feelings of selfhood, or belonging, as well as influence relations between generations as traditional customs and practices are syncretized with their new environment.

Braxton Larson, Dixie State University Social and Behavioral Sciences In 1962 President John F. Kennedy publicly praised President Ngo Dinh Diem for his leadership “to the defense of freedom” and protecting the Vietnamese from “unprovoked subversion and terror.” Ironically within the year, after Buddhist monks started setting themselves on fire in protest of Diem, Kennedy ordered his assassination for his role as an oppressor of his people. Was this change of policy based upon a change in Diem, or a change in the intelligence information President Kennedy was receiving? If his previous information had been correct, was President Kennedy intentionally lying to the American people? Questions like these plagued politicians, military leaders, and the general public during the Vietnam War. Now with the release of the full collection of the “Pentagon Papers,” researchers can definitively document most discrepancies between the rhetoric and the reality of that controversial conflict. This paper will explore these questions about the Kennedy administration, more specifically asking the vital question if the entire origins of the conflict were based upon lies.

Marshall Grimm and Stacia Bourne, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Despite youth’s efforts to act in morally acceptable ways, it is inevitable that they will hurt or cause harm to others (Wainryb and Recchia, 2013). Hurt feelings may be caused by purposeful misdeeds, but they also may be caused through accidents, pursuit of instrumental goals, or misunderstandings. Most older children and adolescents seem to consider both their justifiable reasons and the hurt that they caused when they judge their harmful actions. This dual focus leads many youth to evaluate their transgressions as not entirely negative (e.g., as mixed – both wrong and not wrong). Some children may be less likely to see that there are justifiable reasons that underlie some transgressive actions. For instance, it is likely that children and adolescents who feel excessive guilt for their transgressive actions will make moral judgments that are more exclusively negative. Some youth are dispositionally more guilt prone than others (Tangney 1990). Therefore, we expect that guilt prone children and adolescents will judge their transgressions more negatively than those that are not guilt prone. To examine the relationship between youths’ guilt proneness and their moral judgments of their own transgressions, we assessed 80 children and adolescents (M age = 12.86). Guilt proneness was found to be a significant predictor of moral judgments. Specifically, youth who were more guilt prone made more negative judgments. Having a clear picture of the relationship between guilt proneness and moral judgments can help parents of guilt prone kids to scaffold their children to consider the many complex features of moral transgressions and to understand it is sometimes appropriate to judge their actions as simultaneously both wrong and not wrong.

George Zamantakis, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences This thesis examines the intersections of race, gender, sexual orientation, and age as they relate to queer* youth in Utah who were engaged in the juvenile legal system. Few authors, activists, and academics have taken a stand against the prison system. However, several, such as Michelle Alexandra and Angela Y. Davis, have begun to voice the inequitable conditions through which people of color are funneled into the prison industrial complex and laws are racially biased, so as to relegate people of color to a space of invisibility. Even fewer, though, have examined how this conversation relates to queer* identity (queer* meaning an umbrella term for lesbian, gay, bisexual, etc.). In order to understand these unique experiences, interviews will be conducted with individuals who self-identify as queer* and were at one point involved in the juvenile legal system. The study is a qualitative report on the abuse, trauma, and victimization that these youth have faced in their unique experience, as well as the ways in which they entered the system. While the study has not yet been conducted, much has been learned through an in-depth literature review, finding that there is little literature to document these experiences. There are few calls for change and abolition. There are even fewer calls to dismantle systems of oppression that are leading these youth into the criminal legal system. This paper is meant to be a call to action.

Sarah Nagel and Allyson Brome, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Communication between family caregivers and hospice nurses is important in caring for cancer patients at end-of-life. However, little systematic research has been done to determine what topics are discussed, how much communication occurs in different topics, and helpfulness for caregivers. This study aims to assess caregivers’ perception of these variables. As part of a larger study of nurse-family caregiver communication in home hospice cancer care, caregivers completed a survey assessing how much caregivers wanted to talk about 6 different topics, how much they actually talked about each topic, and perceived discussion helpfulness. Descriptive statistics were calculated and paired-samples t-tests were conducted to determine differences in the actual versus desired amount of topics’ communication. 209 family caregivers of home hospice cancer patients completed the survey. 95% of caregivers were white, 124 were spouses, 66 were children, 61 were men. Average caregiver age was 58.71 (SD=13.91). Average length of hospice enrollment was 25.5 days (Median= 12.00; SD=30.07). The most common topic for both actual and desired communication was symptom discussions, followed by coping with care; death/dying; coping with stress; memories/reminiscing; religion/spirituality (Mean Range Actual=4.53-1.89; Desired=4.58-1.89). Communication was seen as helpful regardless how much they wanted to talk about specific variables (Mean Range=3.00-4.62). Paired samples t-tests revealed no significant differences between actual and desired variables for any topic except for coping with stress, which was discussed less than the caregiver would have liked (t=2.38, df=207, p=.018). This study found that caregivers desired more or less communication about varying topics, and for the most part, this was reflected in actual conversation. All conversations between nurses and caregivers were considered helpful by caregivers. Though based on retrospective self-report data, study findings support current hospice nurse communication with family caregivers. However, nurses could improve on addressing caregivers’ coping with stress, which has implications for nursing education.

Ty Palmer, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences With productivity in the U.S at an unexpected low for the last quarter, it is apparent that employers and employees alike are struggling to meet the financial demands of their companies. Similar to the critical situation Chrysler was facing in 1979, the right leader, Lee Iacocca was all that was needed to save the company from going under. Researchers have studied effective leaders such as Lee Iacocca and their qualities for many generations, but little research has been conducted to gauge employer’s leadership abilities from the perspective of employees. Personality theory has been a topic well researched in the field of Psychology. A personality classification tool generally accepted by most Psychologists today is the Big Five personality characteristics, which are agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, extraversion, and neuroticism. Many studies have utilized this tool in gathering valuable data about individuals, but few studies have used this tool to evaluate a second person. The Big Five Inventory (BFI) is composed of 50 questions designed to evaluate behavior to determine personality type. The BFI utilizes a 4-point Likert scales, ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree to further gauge the prevalence of certain personality traits in a person. The BFI has been created for self-evaluation, so an adapted personality assessment will be constructed to measure a second persons personality. The proposed research would ask employees to take the personality test in behalf of their boss to determine the type of person they are. Participants will also be asked basic questions about their relationship with their boss and how satisfied they are working for them. Specific questions will be asked to determine how productive they want to be at work, and why. Through this study we expect to see a common trend among employees who appreciate one personality characteristic above others. Based on past analyzed studies regarding effective personalities, we anticipate that conscientiousness will be rated to make employees to feel more productive, but less satisfied with their work. The insight gained from this research may provide valuable information and instruction to all employers regarding what characteristics make employees want to be more productive at work.

Dakota Wilson, Snow College Social and Behavioral Sciences Ambiguity in language throughout history has always caused problems. In every field there are instances where words mean different things to different people. There seems to be more and more instances today where there is ambiguity in romantic relationship terminology and it is causing confusion and dissatisfaction. In the beginning of the 20th century words like “calling” or “going steady” were popular to describe romantic relationships whereas today “hooking up” and “hanging out” are the dominant terms. Although there have been studies that are very similar to this subject, there is little to no research exactly like it. This study has been made to assess what terminology is being used today to describe relationship terminology, why it has changed over (generational and cultural influences), and how these changes affect the satisfaction of the relationship. Methodology comprised creating a survey, a portion of which was taken from pre-validated tools such as the MSI-R to assess relationship satisfaction. Other portions included basic demographic information, current relationship terminology used, short answer where the participants were asked to describe situations in which they would use particular terms now and in middle school, in which social situations they would use certain terminology, and domains as to what each relationship term entailed in regards to behavior (these were based off of the categories in the MSI-R). The last section asked about terminology that was used in the participants youth to avoid disapproval of cultural or religious leaders if an exclusive relationship was unacceptable but was occurring regardless. Results are in the process of being analyzed.

Clair Talley and Melissa Benavides, Snow College Current research done by Susan Sprecher and Sandra Metts (1989, 1999) discusses the presence of romantic ideals and their effect on the quality of relationships. While this research focused mainly on committed relationships of college-aged students, it did not investigate the influence of these love beliefs on their sexual relationship progression. Other research that does look at why students have sex suggests that it is seen as a right of passage, a gift, a stigma, and even a means by which students can alter their mood. (Humphreys, 2013 and Dawson, Shih, de Moor and Shrier, 2008)

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: