2020 Abstracts

Savage, Ryland; Stevens, Andrew; Hicks, Joseph (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Bailey, Bruce (Brigham Young University, Exercise Science)

Purpose: This study examined the effect of different intensities of exercise on subjective feelings of fatigue both immediately following exercise and after 60 minutes of intense cognitive testing in men and woman.
Methods: These results come from a secondary analysis of a larger randomized crossover study examining the different levels of exercise intensity on cognitive performance. We recruited 228 men and woman to participate in the study. Each participant was tested after three exercise conditions: moderate (35% VO2 max), vigorous (70% VO2 max), and sedentary (no exercise). Each exercise condition was randomized and each test was separated by one week. After each 40-minute exercise condition, we administered a visual analog scale to evaluate subjective feelings of fatigue. This assessment of fatigue was delivered before treatment, immediately after treatment and then again after a variety of cognitive tasks were performed for the duration of one hour.
Results: For the sedentary condition, feelings of fatigue increased after the 40-minute intervention (p<0.001) and decreased after 60 minutes of cognitive work but remaining elevated compared to baseline (p<0.01). For the moderate condition, feelings of fatigue did not change immediately after exercise (p=0.063) but then increased after 60 minutes of cognitive work (p<0.001). For vigorous condition, feelings of fatigue increased after exercise(p<0.001) and remained elevated after performing the cognitive tasks (p=0.163). Following the 40-minute intervention, fatigue was highest after the sedentary condition, followed by the vigorous condition and did not change after completion of the moderate condition. Following 60 minutes of cognitive work, fatigue was highest in the vigorous condition (p<0.001) and did not differ between the sedentary and moderate conditions (p=0.063).
Conclusion: The results of this study show that moderate exercise has no significant impact on feelings of fatigue but exercise at a higher intensity and being sedentary increase fatigue. Doing cognitive work increases fatigue if exercise precedes the tasks but being sedentary beforehand decreases feelings of fatigue during cognitive tasks. This suggests cognitive work is usually draining, but if performed after sedentary or low activity states such as watching TV, cognitive work will be invigorating and help feel more alert.

Leavitt, Amanda; Harris, Heather; Szanter, Kathryn; Stokes, Alexis (Weber State University)
Faculty Advisor: Dunn, Charles (Weber State University, Child and Family Studies); Hubler, Daniel (Weber State University, Child and Family Studies); Osai, Keith (Weber State University, Child and Family Studies)

How a child is parented can influence their success socially, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Agarwal (2017) states that "Parenting plays the most important part in any child's life, it can help a child by teaching them to deal with people, situations and adapt to a better living standard" (p.1335). Parents help form worldviews, shape a child's attitude towards personal achievement, teach how to approach adversity in life, and satisfy their needs whether it be psychological and/or physiological. Much is known about how the base of one's childhood is built upon one's primary caregivers' parenting style, however, less is known about the intergenerational transmission of parenting philosophies.

The current study was designed to assess how parenting styles affect child delinquency and bullying. Through social media invitations and snowball sampling, 200 people accepted invitations to participate in an online survey incorporating both open-ended and quantitative items. Participants were asked to reflect on how they were parented and then state what they have maintained or changed in their own parenting styles. Considering the rich nature of the responses to the qualitative items, a corroborative narrative came together through personal stories.

Through thematic analysis, several themes emerged. When participants reported being parented with: open communication, flexibility, love, trust, and higher expectations they wanted to keep those traits. When asked what participants carried on from their parents one participant stated, "Cherish the family and the moments we have together." Additionally, 28% (n = 113) of our participants shared the importance of spending quality time together. However, when participants' parents did not display those traits, most participants indicated that similar traits, namely communication, flexibility, love, quality time, trust, and higher expectations were desired in their homes. The findings from the current study can be used to inform future parenting research assessing influence on subsequent generations.

Miriam Reber; Ethan Del Toro; Holden Lyman; Weston Hargis; Travis Ficklin (Dixie State University)
Faculty Advisor: Ficklin, Travis (Dixie State University, Health and Human Performance)

In recent years sport climbing has increased in popularity, and with that have come questions regarding what factors improve performance. While multiple studies have examined the effect of anthropometric factors on injury in climbing, few have examined their relationship with climbing performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare the anthropometric measures of high-level to intermediate level climbers to determine if certain body types, or dimensions, lend themselves to better performance in climbing.

Twenty-one subjects were divided into an intermediate (INT) or high-level (HL) group based on highest graded climb achieved. Various measures including height, limb lengths, and experience. These were compared between the two groups using t-tests.

Significant differences were found in the number of days climbed per week (HL 2.9±1.1, INT 2.17±0.6, p = 0.03), and the ratios of upper arm to full arm length (HL 0.44±0.05, INT 0.41±0.02, p=0.03), and trunk to height (HL 0.26±0.03, INT 0.23±0.01, p=0.01). There were also statistical trends towards years of experience (HL 5.46±3.8, INT 3.39±1.8, p = 0.06), and trunk length (HL 44.96±7.1cm, INT 41.28±2.7cm, p=0.06).

The current data suggest that for the levels of climbing examined (5.9-5.13b on the Yosemite Decimal Scale) a greater trunk to height ratio, greater upper arm to arm length ratio, and increased frequency of practice (a variable within the climber's control) may positively impact climbing ability.

LeBaron, Josh; Obray, J Daniel; Steffensen, Scott (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Steffensen, Scott (Family, Home, and Social Sciences, Psychology)

Dopamine neurons in the substancia nigra (SN) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) are inhibited by dopamine (DA) via dopamine 2 receptor (D2R) activation. D2R expression in the striatum is a well-known biomarker for brain DA levels, drug abuse, and dependence. Markers of D2R expression are not only detectable in the brain but are also expressed in peripheral tissues, including the blood, where DA appears to play a pivotal role in mediating communication between the nervous and immune systems. Alteration in lympocytic D2Rs are seen in chronic psychostimulant use (Ersche et al., 2011). For the last two decades it has been generally accepted that D2R expression in the striatum is reduced by chronic ethanol use. Additionally, research has suggested that these changes mirror changes in DA levels in the striatum and predict risk of relapse. Despite this, the timecourse over which these changes occur has not been demonstrated. Further, recent research has challenged both the reduction in D2R expression produced by chronic ethanol and the mechanism whereby it was believed to be produced (reductions in striatal DA levels). This research has suggested that alterations in D2R levels may be due to disruption of sleep in individuals with substance use disorders. Here we demonstrate that dopamine 2 receptor expression in the brain and the blood follows brain and blood dopamine levels on a timescale of minutes to hours following an acute dose of ethanol. This research provides evidence for transient changes in D2R expression following a single dose of ethanol.

Tonks, Adam; Domgaard, Hannah; Crowley, Valerie; Neumann, Gina; Keiser, Dylan; Metcalf, Josie; Guo, Hongjie; Zhou, Yi; Begemann, Mathew; Taylor, David; Jackson, Ryan (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Jackson, Ryan (College of Science, Chemistry and Biochemistry)

Cms1 is a Type V endonuclease that contains a novel domain, shares little sequence homology with other Type V endonucleases, and in some organisms, is found near genes coding for other single-subunit nucleases. Studies in rice (Oryza sativa) have shown Cms1 capable of RNA-directed DNA editing. However, the mechanism of DNA cleavage remains unknown.
Here we present biochemical data that demonstrate Cms1 from Sulfuricurvum processes an RNA guide and binds/cleaves single- and double-stranded DNA through RuvC nuclease motifs. 2-D classification of structures obtained by negative staining electron microscopy show a major conformational change between SuCms1 bound and unbound to an RNA guide. The predicted global structure appears to be different than those reported for other Type V effectors. These data provide for a greater understanding of Type V endonucleases and may provide an alternative tool for genome editing applications.

Hutchison, Cortland; Preece, J. Caleb; Seibold, Tanner; Feland, J. Brent (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Feland, Brent (Life Sciences, Exercise Science)

BACKGROUND: Muscle morphology changes with age and the fibrous/fatty infiltration should affect the overall stiffness of aging muscle. However, little info intrinsic stiffness as measured by SWE is available on aging muscle and the effect of gender using this measurement is not clear.
PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine how gender affects cross sectional area (CSA) and SWE of both the medial and lateral heads of the gastrocnemius muscle of the dominant leg in active older athletes participating in the HuntsmanWorld Senior Games.
METHODS: Data was collected from 116 volunteers (participants in the Huntsman World Senior Games) in St. George, Utah, 2019. Subjects (62 males: mean age = 68.9 ± 7.8 yrs, Ht = 177.4 ± 8.1 cm, Wt= 85.4±20 kg; 54 females: mean age = 66.9 ± 8.5 yrs, Ht =164.4 ± 7.2 cm, Wt= 69.8±18 kg) signed an approved consent form and then lay prone on a treatment table for ultrasonic measurement of both CSA and SWE of both heads of the gastrocnemius.
ANALYSIS: All data were analyzed a generalized linear model analysis using SPSS ver25 comparing CSA and SWE of both medial and lateral gastrocnemius heads by gender with age, height and weight as covariates.
RESULTS & CONCLUSION: We hypothesized that gender would affect both CSA and SWE with males exhibiting increases in both CSA and SWE values. We found a significant difference in CSA of both the medial and lateral gastroc (p=.000 for both) between genders, but no significant difference in lateral gastroc SWE (p=.337) or medial gastroc SWE (p=.320). Both age (p=.004) and weight (p=.000) were also found to significantly affect CSA and SWE between genders. The larger CSA values for men in this study may be more of a function of overall body size and weight since both populations are active athletes.

Tessem, Jeffery; Lloyd, Trevor; Brown, Nathan (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Tessem, Jeffery (Brigham Young University; Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science)

Diabetes is a global epidemic affecting millions of people. The total estimated cost of diabetes in the U.S. during 2017 was 327 billion dollars [1]. Diabetes is characterized by the loss of pancreatic β-cell function which is caused by an autoimmune disorder in Type 1 diabetes or insulin resistance and β-cell exhaustion in Type 2 (T2D) diabetes. Lifestyle changes in diet are beneficial in treating T2D. Phytochemicals are commonly utilized in these diets, and recent studies show diets high in flavanols exert beneficial bioactivity for β-cells. While flavanols demonstrate beneficial effects on β-cells, these flavanols are rarely observed in circulation, suggesting a necessary intermediate step. Flavanols are metabolized by gut bacteria to smaller metabolites that are absorbable. We hypothesize that these gut bacteria derived flavanol metabolites cross the gut and affect β-cell function. We have fed rats catechin supplemented or unsupplemented diets and collected urine as a means to isolate all absorbable gut flavanol metabolites. Here we present the effects of these absorbed metabolites on β-cell proliferation. This study begins to explain the mechanism by which flavanols exert their beneficial effect on glucose metabolism through the β-cell.

Rollins, Jay; Whitney, Jordan; Hope, Sandra; Mizrachi, Dario (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Mizrachi, Dario (Brigham Young University, Physiology and Developmental Biology)

Epithelial and endothelial tissues form selectively permeable barriers, with the permeability largely controlled by intercellular tight junctions. Claudin (CLDN) proteins are critical components of these tight junctions, making them the gatekeepers that control the paracellular space in multicellular organisms. CLDN proteins are thus targets for studies on epithelial and endothelial absorption, to therefore learn how to regulate them for potential drug delivery or therapeutics. CLDN characterization is still in progress. Previously, the relative strength of each member of the CLDN family was unknown. Additionally, no high-throughput method to study absorption enhancers or inhibitors had been found.
Through CLDN expression in Escherichia coli, we determined the relative strength of each CLDN protein and confirmed the effects of various absorption enhancers from previous studies. Therefore, we propose that CLDN expression in Escherichia coli is a valid model for the study of tight junctions and that, through flow cytometry, it is a high-throughput method for interrogating large libraries of potential drug delivery compounds. Using CLDN 2 because of its role in cancer-metastasis prevention and its measured sensitivity towards epithelial modulators, we studied a fifty thousand compound library (DIVERSet-CL Library) to identify absorption moderators, drug delivery compounds, and possible cancer-metastasis prevention.

Beales, Joseph; Lloyd, Trevor; Krueger, Emily; Barlow, Andrew (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Tessem, Jeffery (Life Sciences; Nutritional, Dietetics, and Food Science)

Worldwide, an estimated 415 million people suffer from diabetes.1 Diabetes is characterized by chronic dysfunction of the pancreatic ß-cell, which leads to unregulated insulin secretion and abnormal blood glucose levels. Therefore, methods which increase the number of ß-cells or improve their function have potential for complementary treatment of type 2 diabetes. Compounds such as antioxidants and their gut metabolites have received attention in literature as having potential ß-cell-regulating properties.2,3 Therefore, we hypothesize that supplementation of grape seed extract (GSE), which is rich in antioxidants, will enhance ß-cell proliferation and insulin secretion. Accordingly, we obtained metabolites, derived from rats on either a control or grape seed extract diet, to measure the metabolites' impact on ß-cell function through in vitro assays such as glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and 3H-thymidine incorporation. Discoveries regarding GSE metabolites' effects on ß-cell function could be fundamental to understanding ß-cell regulation and potential pharmaceutical or dietary treatments for diabetes.

1 Ogurtsova, K., et al. "IDF Diabetes Atlas: Global Estimates for the Prevalence of Diabetes for 2015 and 2040." Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, Elsevier, 31 Mar. 2017, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168822717303753?via%3Dihub.

2 Bajaj, Sarita, and Afreen Khan. "Antioxidants and diabetes." Indian journal of endocrinology and metabolism vol. 16,Suppl 2 (2012): S267-71. Doi:10.4103/2230-8210.104057

3 Tsuda, Takanori. "Recent Progress in Anti-Obesity and Anti-Diabetes Effect of Berries." MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 6 Apr. 2016, www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/5/2/13.

Walker, Carson; Burke, Tyler; Tanner, Call; Chaston, John (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Chaston, John (Brigham Young University, Plant and Wildlife Sciences)

Host-microbe interactions can dramatically influence Drosophila melanogaster phenotypes, but few studies have explained how these microbes are recognized by the host. For example, fruit flies from one area, Maine, prefer to consume diets inoculated with Lactic Acid Bacteria (LABs) over diets containing Acetic acid bacteria (AABs); whereas flies from another area, Florida, show no preference for either LAB or AAB. However, the bacterial mechanisms responsible for this preference are unknown. My follow-up analyses further suggest the hypothesis that Maine flies avoid AAB, rather than are attracted to LAB. Therefore, I propose a forward genetic approach to define the AAB processes that shape this fly preference. I will do this by comparing the feeding preferences of Maine and Florida flies to diets incorporated with LAB versus specific bacterial molecules, such as acetic acid, peptidoglycan, and lipopolysaccharides. Alternatively, if these molecules do not mediate the effects I will perform a metagenome wide association assay (MGWA) to identify genes linked to this preference. Together, these approaches will help to reveal the bacterial factors that influence fly feeding preferences.

Chevrier, Amy; Hinkson, Kent; Brooks, Malisa; Bryan, Craig (Utah Valley University)
Faculty Advisor: Hinkson, Kent (Utah Valley University, Behavioral Science)

According to the National Center for PTSD, approximately 8% of the US population will experience PTSD in their lives. An average of 10% of women, compared to 4% of men, will suffer from PTSD in their lifetime. Those struggling with PTSD have difficulty sleeping, irritability, trauma-related nightmares, often avoid leaving their house, and several other adverse symptoms. Certain populations appear to experience more trauma, and thus endorse higher rates of PTSD. Among veterans, the rates of PTSD are significantly higher, with upwards of 18-30% of veterans meeting criteria for PTSD. Some studies have found more than 45% of student veterans with likely PTSD. While research has shown that there is a relationship between trauma type and prevalence of PTSD, as well as shown differences between men and women, this information is not available for student veterans. This study sought to answer if there is a difference in the severity level of PTSD and the type of trauma a person experienced and their gender. Student veterans (n=348) from across the country participated in this study. The results generally showed no significant difference in the severity or prevalence scores across trauma types. However, among those who experienced sexual assault, there were some interesting findings across genders. Men who reported being sexually assaulted endorsed more intrusion symptoms than women, along with more severe alterations to cognition and mood, while 57.14% percent of women (36.14% of men) endorsed full PTSD symptoms after a sexual assault. However, more men (96.39%) screened like for major depressive disorder after a sexual assault than women (73.68%). These results illustrate differences across gender in processing sexual assault and provide insight into potential considerations for treatment.

Bostick, Aubrey; Hill, Huiying (Weber State University)
Faculty Advisor: Hill, Huiying (Weber State University, Sociology and Anthropology)

Infant mortality rates for black women are significantly higher than white women. More specifically, during high risk pregnancies. These include pregnancies for women before the age of 20, and between the ages of 40-54. Through quantitative and qualitative secondary analysis utilizing conflict theory, the research indicates environmental and socioeconomic impacts derived from eugenicist practices that uniquely impact black pregnant women. Eugenicist practices are at the root of infant mortality rates for pregnant black women as a consequence of exploitation that formulates modern reproductive care. First, environmental factors to be explored include food deserts, gentrification, geographic location to healthcare centers, and pollution. These factors are essential to explore because they directly create internal factors. Which is why the second area of exploration is the stress of being a pregnant black woman. These factors include societal pressure, medical pressure, and a lack of preventative reproductive and post pregnancy care. Both environmental and internal factors stem from cyclical poverty, and produce chronic healthcare conditions that yield infant mortality. This research offers the unique consideration of diet, and disproportionate access to medical care while encompassing the history of modern reproductive care. This research has the capacity to create a dynamic approach to reducing infant mortality rates specifically for at-risk pregnant black women.

Shipley, Samantha (Weber State University)
Faculty Advisor: Stevenson, Dr. Mark (Social & Behavioral Sciences, Sociology & Anthropology); Arkush, Dr. Brooke (Social & Behavioral Sciences, Sociology & Anthropology); Yoder, Dr. David (Social & Behavioral Sciences, Sociology & Anthropology)

This study evaluates the ways that gender and women's roles are interpreted in Utah rock art. Over 750 rock art images in the following six counties in Utah were evaluated: Box Elder (47 images), Carbon (488 images), Juab (16 images), Millard (100 images), Tooele (33 images), and Utah (73 images). Along with a review of relevant literature, the study drew on rock art site forms to review any indication of sex/gender attributes. Though some rock art can be more easily interpreted, most is open to interpretation and requires extensive knowledge on the culture and ethnographic analysis. There were not many panels that displayed gender attributes. However, we cannot be sure that anthropomorphic figures did not represent both males and females. Though some rock art motifs can be more easily interpreted, most require extensive knowledge on the culture and ethnographic analysis to reach a probable conclusion. Identifying sex and gender within rock art motifs can be difficult without understanding the cultural construction as we oftentimes have biases and cultural assumptions of our own. Understanding social roles in native Utahn populations is beneficial for furthering anthropological research in the area.

Lotulelei, Tiffany; Darowski, Emily; Erekson, David (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Darowski, Emily (Brigham Young University, Harold B. Lee Library); Erekson, David (Brigham Young University, Counseling and Psychological Services)

Social media is becoming an increasingly popular means of communication and content sharing; this rise is especially prevalent among young adults, including university students. We are not aware of any research that has examined the impact, positive or negative, of using social media during study breaks. Current research has shown that mindfulness - defined as being non-judgmentally aware of the present moment - is negatively associated with social media use and is a common intervention for many of the negative outcomes that are associated with excessive social media use. It remains unknown, however, whether a brief mindfulness practice during a study break impacts university students, and how that effect compares to the effect of other study break activities, including social media use. The purpose of this research project was to compare the effect of three different types of study breaks: using social media, participating in mindfulness meditation, or simply sitting (control group). College students were placed in a setting where they were asked to complete a remote associates task (RAT). In the midst of the difficult task, they were given a break period and, depending on the condition, spent the break either practicing mindfulness, using social media, or simply sitting quietly. Pre/post ratings of mindfulness, stress, and anxiety were gathered along with performance measures on the RAT task. Preliminary data shows that the mindfulness break decreases feelings of stress and anxiety compared to the social media break. RAT performance was not affected, but this may represent a floor effect. These findings suggest that compared to social media, mindfulness is a more effective break in reducing anxiety and stress for university students. Students can use this knowledge to help them engage in more effective study strategies. More research is needed to determine whether using social media or practicing mindfulness impacts one's performance.

Abdulla, Munawwar; Bovingdon, Gardner; Brophy, David; Cabras, Giulia; Dillon, Michael; Friedrichs, Jorg; Hess, Steve; Holdstock, Nick; Ingram, Ruth; Langfitt, Frank; Roberts, Sean; Schluessel, Eric; Shapiro, Ari; Smith-Finley, Joanne; Torrey, Zachary; Veselic, Maja; Yuan, Zhenjie; Zang, Xiaowei; Zhang, Shawn (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Larsen, Kirk (Family, Home, and Social Sciences; History); Schill, Steve (Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Geography)

The westernmost Chinese province of Xinjiang has in recent years become a hotbed of turmoil. The largest ethnic group in the region, the ethnically-Turkic Uyghur people, has been facing a systematic persecution by the Chinese government; most notably, this includes their forcible placement into "reeducation camps" across the province. Out of the more than eleven million Uyghurs in Xinjiang, it is estimated that up to a million are currently interned in one of these camps ("China's repression", 2018). One especially defining feature of the Uyghur people is their practice of Islam; it is said that they have traditionally practiced Islam since the 15th century, and mosques are prevalent across the cities of Xinjiang (Veselic, 2011; "Authorities in Xinjiang", 2017). The Uyghurs and religion of Islam are tied in such a tight ethnoreligious way that in this review the term Uyghur may generally be used to refer to a Uyghur Muslim in specific (Veselic, 2011). Islam, along with other defining characteristics, set the Uyghurs apart in stark contrast from the Han Chinese majority that makes up over 91% of China's total population (Zang, 2015; Roberts, 2018). In this presentation, I will look at a variety of factors that the Chinese government uses to justify the internment of the Uyghur people. I will also use ArcGIS Pro technology to examine satellite images and camp records to map the current extent of the reeducation camps, in an effort to follow what has already taken place and what the future will have in store for the Uyghur people.

Allred, Madison; Otterstrom, Samuel (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Otterstrom, Samuel(Brigham Young University, Family, Home and Social Sciences, Geography)

Over the past 20 years the behavior of dictatorial regimes have been studied in various social science fields, but so far the extension of analysis into the field of Geography has been minimal. I show that not only can Geography shed valuable light onto these issues, but it is essential to incorporate geographical findings into the global discussion of protecting the sanctity of life and promoting peace.

I aim to show how dictators use the geographic principle of memorialism and change the urban and human landscape to build nationalism in fractured states. I have narrowed the scope of my research by using the reign of Saddam Hussein as a case study. He is the perfect focus for this case study because his reign had a definitive beginning and end, his works are relatively well documented and his name is well known in academic communities as well as by the general populus. Since I want my research to make an impact and grab the attention of academia as well as policy makers, choosing a person that held the fascination of the American public for years was critical.

By examining the available data and utilizing GIS, we are able to come to conclusions of Saddam Hussein's behavior and find correlations only observable by mapping and spatially analyzing the data. My research is relevant not only to the field of Geography, but can be useful to decisions on US Foreign Policy. If it can be proven that Saddam Hussein and other similar dictators utilize memorialism, can evidence of memorialism be used as a key indicator in various foreign policy decisions? If dictators use memorialism to build nationalism, can memorialism be used preventatively in fractured states to prevent the rise of potentially bloody dictatorial regimes? The results of my research call for further action and analysis to be taken by academics and subsequent political action based upon their findings.

Ipsen, Melannee; Allen, Audrey; Urness, Katherine; Thacker, Melinda; Cabbage, Kathryn (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Cabbage, Kathryn (McKay School of Education, Communication Disorders)

Speech delays affect up to 12% of children and are the most common communication disorder treated by speech-language pathologists (Lewis et al., 2006). Furthermore, approximately 18% of preschool-aged children with speech delay will develop dyslexia or other reading impairments (Lewis et al., 2011).
Current research agrees that both children with SD and those with dyslexia have deficits in phonology---the underlying system responsible for processing and organizing speech sounds (Anthony et al., 2011; Snowling, 2000). Both children with SD and children with dyslexia have specific deficits in speech perception (Lof & Synan, 1997; Rosen, 2003). It is unclear the degree to which these groups differ in underlying aspects of phonology, such as speech perception. Prior research suggests that these children may display distinct speech perception patterns based on their SD or dyslexia status (Cabbage, Hogan, and Carrell, 2016; Johnson et al., 2011). Speech components that cause speech perception difficulties for children with SD may be different from those that cause difficulty for those with dyslexia. Specifically, children with SD have been shown to have more difficulty perceiving the rapid temporal aspects, or spectral structure, of speech (e.g., formant frequency transitions) while those with dyslexia have been shown to have more difficulties perceiving the more global structure of speech (e.g., amplitude envelopes, syllabic cues) (Cabbage, et al., 2016; Goswami, 2011; Johnson et al., 2011).
The current study compares speech perception abilities in children with SD, children with SD+dyslexia, and typical peers in speech modified in spectral and global acoustic structure. We expect children with SD or SD+dyslexia will show poorer perception for spectral speech tasks and only children with SD+dyslexia will show poorer perception for global speech tasks. These findings will be used to help detect which children with SDs are at a higher risk for developing dyslexia.

Brewster, Melissa; Conradt, Elisabeth. (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Conradt, Elisabeth (University of Utah, Psychology)

Stress exposure in the early years of life is a public health concern since this exposure can lead to a variety of illnesses ranging from diabetes to depression. More specifically, previous research has emphasized the importance of understanding the impact of stress exposure on an infant. However, there is limited research linking in utero stress exposure to later infant development, more specifically, on newborn self-regulation and neurobehavior. We examined whether newborn neurobehavior was associated with prenatal maternal psychophysiological signs of stress. Pregnant women (N=162) during their third trimester were invited to the child adaptation and neurodevelopment (CAN) laboratory to acquire hair cortisol concentrations, baseline heart rate (HR), baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and baseline electrodermal activity (EDA) parameters: skin conductance response (SCR) and skin conductance levels (SCL). Subsequent to this visit was the hospital visit. We assessed newborns between twenty-four hours and two months of age using the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS) which measures the dimensions of attention and arousal. We conducted correlations and ordinary least squares regression analyses. Maternal hair cortisol levels were not significantly associated with newborn attention (r= -.026, p=.77) and arousal (r= -.077, p= .382). However, exploratory analyses demonstrated that hair hygiene may affect these results. Baseline HR was not associated with attention (r= .012, p=.879) and arousal (r= -.002, p=.979). Baseline RSA was also not associated with attention (r= -.106, p=.192) and arousal (r= .071, p= .381). Lastly, baseline SCR and SCL were not associated to newborn attention (r=-.094, p=.247; r=-.013, p=.874) and arousal (r=-.077, p=.342; r=-.12, p=.138), respectively. These results suggest that having naturally high or low psychophysiological measurements has little-to-no impact on infant well-being, as opposed to stress reactivity.